Costa Rica's La
Amistad Bridge A
Victim Of
Vandalism and
Neglect
Seven years ago
this July the
government of
Taiwan handed
over, as a gift,
the "puende de
La Amistad" -
the bridge that
spans across the
Tempisque river,
on the north end
of the Nicoya
peninsula. The
bridge was the
pride of Costa
Rica and
celebrated the
friendship
between the two
countries.
Today, however,
Costa Rica and
Taiwan are no
longer friends,
Costa Rica
breaking
diplomatic ties
with Taiwan
three years ago
in favour of
China, and the
bridge has
become the
victim of
vandalism,
suffers from
lack of
maintenance and
abandonment of
security
measures
protecting the
structure and
the symbol it
once
represented.
Authorities
report that in
the last several
years more than
150 traffic and
other signs on
the bridge have
been stolen, the
lights to the
entrance of the
lookout are
gone, the flags
of Costa Rica
and Taiwan are
no longer
blowing in the
wind - at least
not on the
bridge at they
should be, many
of the light
along the bridge
are missing, and
including a
bench that was
placed for
tourists to take
a rest while
admiring the
work of Costa
Rican -
Taiwanese
co-operation.
Today, the
bridge is full
of graffiti, the
few lights left
that once bright
lights that
shone at night
are dull and
grey, in some
places all that
is left if the
post that once
held the lamps.
And many pieces
of the "barandas"
(metal railing)
are missing
along the
bridge.
The La Amistad
bridge is
considered the
second longest
bridge in
Central America,
spanning a total
of 1.650 metres
(5.400 feet) and
was to have been
the impulse of
tourism in the
Peninsula de
Nicoya.
The bridge
replaced the
ferry crossing
across the
peninsula, which
fast became a
crutch to the
growth of
tourism for
areas like
Samara and
Nicoya. Prior to
the construction
of the bridge
the alternate to
the bridge was
the long
alternate land
route to Liberia
and then back
down again.
The roads
leading to and
from La Amistad
was one of the
best roads in
Costa Rica seven
years ago and a
perfect speed
trap for the
Policía de
Transito as
drivers took
advantage of the
several
kilometres of
road that was,
at the time,
pothole free and
well marked.
The sad shame is
that the Consejo
Nacional de
Vialidad (Conavi)
- the national
highway council,
a department of
the ministerio
de Obras
Públicas y
Transportes, has
not plans to
carry out any
short-term
improvements,
including
routine
maintenance,
according to
Conavi director,
Carlos Acosta.
"Puente La
Amistad de
Taiwan" - Bridge
over Tempisque
River. Costa
Rica - following
construction(Daniel
Soto, November
4, 2005)
Aerial
photography of
the "Amistad de
Taiwan" bridge
over Tempisque
River. The image
has been
slightly altered
digitally to
remove some haze
(Daniel Caviedes
Voullième)
Puente de la
Amistad Costa
Rica-Taiwan
From Wikipedia,
the free
encyclopedia
The Puente de la
Amistad de Costa
Rica-Taiwan
(English: "Costa
Rica-Taiwan
Friendship
Bridge") spans
the Tempisque
River, in
Guanacaste,
northern Costa
Rica. Although
generally known
as a
cable-stayed
bridge, it is
really a hybrid
bridge composed
of a
cable-stayed
span and a
pillar-supported
bridge. The
cable-stayed
section has two
spans of 170 and
90 meters,
supported by a
80-meter-high
pylon. The total
length of the
bridge is 780
meters with
eight supporting
pillars and the
pylon. The
bridge was
completed in
2003.
The bridge was
financed and
designed by
Taiwan and built
primarily by the
Taiwanese
company RSEA,
with
participation of
Costa Rican
engineers and
workers. It has
a particular
importance for
the province of
Guanacaste for
it facilitates
transit from the
capital city of
San José.
Recent Costa
Rican studies
have found some
problems in the
structure that
have required
increased
maintenance.
Ever since
former Costa
Rican President
Oscar Arias cut
off relations
with Taiwan in
favour of China,
the bridge has
been known
colloquially as
Puente de la
Apuñalada (Back
Stab Bridge). |
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