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· 03 Jun 2021

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Rafael Urdaneta Bridge

#history

The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge also called the lake bridge, covers a length of 8.678 m y 134 pilas Venezuela. This bridge allowed to connect both shores of the lake and expeditiously connect the city of Maracaibo with the rest of Venezuela. He was named in honor of General Rafael Urdaneta, Zulian hero of Venezuela's independence. It is one of the largest in the world of its kind, and number 52 in the world.

Initial projects for the bridge were discarded as a metal structure was considered to require a lot of maintenance, given the humid climate of the area. In addition to requiring little maintenance, in Venezuela cement is a less expensive material than steel and would maintain the aesthetic requirements of the work.

Designed by Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi and later modified by the Consortium Puente Maracaibo “CPM”
The bridge was tendered internationally in the government of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez, who because of its overthrow fails to conclude the contract.

Subsequently, the work was put to tender again, and three years later it was inaugurated, on August 24, 1962 by the President of Venezuela, for the time Romulo Betancourt. It was for several years the longest bridge in the world of its kind and remains one of the largest reinforced concrete structures in the world.

It is important to note that it is considered the first modern bridge of its kind, in fact the technology for offshore construction was designed entirely by Venezuelans, which involved the design of barges for piles (hammer barges) and piles for the type of bed that presents the lake

On April 6, 1964 at approximately 22.45, el súper tanquero Esso Maracaibo, que cargaba con 262 mil barriles de crudo (para un peso total de 36 mil toneladas), sufrió una falla en la sala de turboalternadores que sacó fuera de líneas las plantas eléctricas de la nave; de inmediato se lanzó la alerta y el capitán y el jefe de máquinas ordenaron las maniobras de emergencia que al final no tuvieron el éxito esperado, rozando las pilas 21 y 22 para al final derrumbar parte del coloso Perdieron la vida 7 personas que iban en tres vehículos y un camión, que cayeron al vacío. The bridge was repaired in eight months by Creole Petroleum Co.. (the cause of the accident) and the Venezuelan company Precompressed C.A., the leading construction company of the bridge that was still with the teams in the San Francisco footboard, which facilitated the speed of the repair, forcing the ferries to return to communicate the two shores of the lake.

This bridge is the pride of all Zuliano. All Zulians are regionalists and love the largest historical and artistic icon that is our magestuous bridge over the lake...

The bridge over the lake crosses the narrowest part of the lake.

The Rafael Urdaneta bridge is currently going through a critical situation due to the lack of maintenance during the socialist regime in which we live and this can bring misfortune for people who move through the.

I hope you will soon give you a love that deserves it, we users deserve safety to travel it...