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 worked this summer to build a bridge in Charazani, Bolivia.

We built a 42 meter span permanent suspended footbridge in a small village in the Andes. We worked with locals to construct the bridge that would grant them access to medical supplies, schools, and markets found in the nearby village during the rainy season as none of these essentials reside within the village itself. Previously the villagers were crossing old tree trunks precariously placed along the river bed. View our constuction of the bridge by clicking and scrolling through the images on the left.

In 2013, we constucted a pedestrian footbridge for the village of Palca in Bolivia. This region is home to approximately 2,400 inhabitants who regularly need to cross the river. A river divided the residents of Palca from a school, a clinic, and a market. The residents previously had to pass over a temporary crossing made of tree trunks, which often was submerged during the lengthy rainy season and was always perilous.

Building a permanent, elevated, suspension footbridge with the community allowed members gain access to these essential resources. Prior to construction, our team of multidisciplinary engineering students worked with a local Ann Arbor structural engineering firm, our parent B2P organization, and university resources to design a bridge for the community members of Palca. We were excited to be able to turn our design and work into a reality to help make a difference to the community of Palca.