Repairing and building bridges in rural, isolated areas of these continents has become a reality for B2P, in part, by partnering with university engineering departments, such as ours here at the University of Michigan. Our U-M student chapter of B2P is working with the village of Palca, in a remote region of Pojo, Bolivia.

A river divides the residents of Palca from a school, a clinic, and a market. The residents currently must traverse a temporary crossing made of tree trunks, which often is submerged during the lengthy rainy season and is always perilous. This region is the home to approximately 2,400 inhabitants which regularly need to cross the river. Building a permanent, elevated, suspension footbridge with the community will help its members gain access to these essential resources. For the past several months, my team of multidisciplinary engineering students has worked with a local Ann Arbor structural engineering firm, the parent B2P organization, and university resources to design a bridge for the community members of Palca. The next phase of this project will be to turn our design and Michigan-based work into a reality in the community of Palca.

Our team will travel to Bolivia this summer to join with local community members to build this bridge! When our work is complete, our bridge will span about 25 meters (82 feet) across the river embankment and will be constructed from recycled steel cable and locally available materials. Stones, rocks, and sand from the riverbed and surrounding areas will function as stone masonry and concrete aggregates. This permanent, sound footbridge will enable the people of this region to have year-round access to healthcare, education, and local markets.