The Riviere Cochon Gras Bridge is a lesson in the capabilities of galvanized structures and how hot dip galvanized steel’s durability and maintenance-free longevity make projects like this possible.
For 15 years, the Fore River Bridge designed and built by Acrow Corporation, carried people over the river between North Weymouth and Quincy Point, Massachusetts. Today, an 80ft section of which, now renamed ‘The Riviere Cochon Gras Bridge’, serves the people of Perches, Haiti. The ‘Riviere Cochon Gras’ is a river in Haiti; prone to flooding, and with no previous safe way to cross, it restricted local residents from accessing medical care and local services, causing a number of drownings during crossing attempts.
Despite withstanding 15 years of harsh New England winters and around 46,000 vehicles per day, when the Fore River Bridge had served its purpose in Massachusetts, its new owners, The Cashman Family Foundation, believed there was more life to it yet.
Alongside Tighe & Bond, and volunteers from Engineers Without Borders, the Cashman Foundation worked with local officials to transfer an 80ft section of the former bridge to Perches, where it would form a potentially life-saving crossing for local residents.
The life-cycle cost savings of this project are substantial. Thanks to hot-dip galvanizing, the section of the former bridge required no repair, showed no signs of corrosion and required no additional costs for future protection. This project also speaks to the environmental benefits of hot dip galvanizing, as reusing the temporary bridge eliminates the need for new steel.
