Photo By Staff Sgt. Christina Westover | Members of the Department of Transportation, State Public Assistance, and FEMA Public...... read more read more
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Weeks after Hurricane Maria, the damage in Puerto Rico is being repaired by local governments working with numerous agencies.
The island endured widespread flooding, damaged infrastructure, and destruction of the electrical grid. There were many roads, bridges, and expressways that could not be used because of the debris and damage.
Members of the Department of Transportation, State Public Assistance, and FEMA Public Assistance assessed two severely damaged bridges in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Oct. 18, 2017, to determine the amount of structural damage that occurred.
“We are assessing the bridge to determine the amount of damage and the danger of the whole structure collapsing,” said Kevin Irving, a transportation engineer for the Federal Highway Administration working with Emergency Support Function One. “If collapsed, the bridge can cause further damage and hit the columns of the bridge downstream. This poses a safety risk and causes the roads to potentially be closed.”
ESF-1 is tasked by FEMA during emergency events to provide coordination and expertise in the field of transportation.
“We come up with the recommended approach to repair or to remove the bridge, but the decision is made with the local municipality,” said Gary Tubach, a structural engineer with FEMA Public Assistance. “We inspect the bridge to develop a recommendation for a scope of repairs and costs.”
To evaluate the bridges, personnel from ESF-1 visually inspect the top of the structure, and if it is safe, check under it to look for breakage or cracks depending on the severity, Tubach said.
“Currently, one of the two bridges that was inspected is closed,” said Irving. “The road with the collapsed bridge is impacting local traffic since they must find alternate routes.”
Although the road closure impacts traffic flow, the safety of the people in Puerto Rico is a top priority for FEMA and other supporting government agencies in the efforts to restore transportation systems.
“I feel great about having this opportunity to come here and help while doing something that I really love to do,” said Tubach.
The DOT, FEMA, and other government organizations plan to continue their work with local governments in Puerto Rico to improve transportation and return the island’s roadways to a state of normalcy.
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2017 07:28 |
| Story ID: | 252369 |
| Location: | CAGUAS, PR |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Federal agencies assess bridge structures in Puerto Rico, by SSG Christina Westover, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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