Acrow Supplies 61 Bridges to Panama’s Ministry of Public Works for Rural Infrastructure Development

PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, is pleased to announce that it provided Panama’s Ministry of Public Works with 61 modular steel bridges in 2018, along with training on assembly and installation of the structures to enable local engineers, technicians and contractors to implement this priority infrastructure project. Acrow is pleased to further report that approximately half of the bridges have already been installed.

While transportation infrastructure in the urban areas of the country is robustly developed, in the rural areas of Panama, road density is among the lowest in Central America, according to the World Economic Forum. In order to address this deficit and exploit the potential economic gains of expanded trade connectivity, Panama’s current Government Strategic Plan includes investments to construct and expand highway and rural road infrastructure. The bridges supplied by Acrow will be used in rural regions of the country in the form of new crossings as well as to replace deficient or decommissioned structures.

The Acrow bridges are 30, 45 and 60 meter long single-lane structures with sidewalks on both sides and a width of 4.2 meters. Shipments of the bridges took place over a six month period in 2018. Due to Acrow’s expertise and extensive logistical coordination, the bridges were successfully delivered to 20 locations throughout the country. In addition, two full-scale load tests were performed on the structures. At present, approximately half of the bridges have been installed, and it is expected the remaining bridges will be in service by the end of 2019. As part of the project, Acrow performed three training programs for local engineer and technicians - two in Panama and one in the United States.

“Bridging is an important infrastructure need in Panama, particularly for the integration of often remote rural communities into the broader domestic and regional economy,” said Paul Sullivan, Acrow’s Senior Vice President - International. “This important project demonstrates Acrow's expertise and commitment to providing high-quality bridge infrastructure solutions with a special focus on the training of local Panamanian engineers and technicians.”

“Prefabricated modular steel bridging such as that manufactured by Acrow is an ideal solution for large-scale transportation infrastructure development projects, whether the projects are located in dense urban cities or in isolated rural regions,” added Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow. “It is an immense privilege and pleasure to have worked with Panama’s Ministry of Public Works in support of the people of Panama through the design and supply of permanent robust Acrow bridges from our factory in the United States.” 

About Acrow Bridge

Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, military and pedestrian use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.