By The Star Staff
Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT by its initials in Spanish) Executive Director Edwin González Montalvo announced Sunday that the agency has already opened the access ramp to Fragoso Avenue on highway PR-26, the Baldorioty Expressway, which had been closed for safety reasons while mitigation work was being carried out on the retaining wall before the bridge.
“From the day of the incident, we immediately contacted the mayor of Carolina and mobilized all resources to assist him,” González Montalvo said in a written statement. “Soil specialists and engineering staff from the agency were on site to conduct the necessary assessments that determined the steps to follow to correct the situation.”
Following the recommendations of the ACT soil and structural experts, excavations were conducted behind the wall to clean up contaminated material; the saturated material was replaced with a “geo foam” material and concrete was placed on top of it. In addition, the storm drains were rebuilt and cleaned, a new storm drain was installed, gutters were built to direct rainwater and runoff, and mesh was installed to control erosion.
An assessment showed that the situation does not represent a safety risk to the bridge or to the traffic on the expressway or the exit ramp.
Meanwhile, the ACT immediately requested access to emergency funds from the Federal Highway Administration for repairs necessitated by damages from the rains experienced in recent days.
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