An American bridge supply firm is replacing an aging system of prefabricated truss bridges with prefabricated modular steel bridges throughout Peru. Acrow Bridge, Parsippany, N.J., recently delivered 60 prefabricated modular steel bridges to Peru as part of its $30-million contract—the latest in its four-year relationship with Provias Nacional, the government agency in charge of the country’s national road and bridge network.
Travel in the highlands of Peru depends on a robust network of bridges as even relatively small streams present significant obstacles on the steep slopes of the Andes. For years, many of the nation's secondary roads, which connect the vast rural interior to the rest of the country, have relied on old truss bridges. Several major roads funded by the national government, such as the InterOceanic Highway that crosses the Andes in southern Peru, are paved with asphalt and feature permanent concrete-and-steel spans. As those main highways have been completed, it has put an even greater burden on the secondary-road systems, which are invariably unpaved and serviced by aging modular spans.