tuesday, september 04, 2007
The Interoceanic Highway
Last week Peru awarded the final two contracts of the 2,500 kilometer Interoceanic Highway project to a par of consortia comprised of Peruvian contractors.Consorcio Interocánica and Concesionaria del Sur will handle the repair of more than 1,000 kilometers of existing paved roads that lead to three costal cities. The two contracts are valued at $285 million.
Work on the three contracts that include the building new road across the difficult mountain and jungle terrain of Southern Peru began two years ago.
Peruvian officials say the final pair of contracts, although almost a year behind schedule, will be completed by the 2009 deadline for the entire project.
My story on the issue, Final Two Sections Awarded For Transandean Highway, is on ENR.com. A sidebar looking at progress repairing roads in the wake of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck three weeks ago, After Quake, Crews Scramble To Fix PanAm Highway, is online as well. read more
wednesday, august 22, 2007
The Peru Earthquake
After the intial shock of the powerful 80 earthquake that struck southern Peru on Aug. 15 began to receed, rescue efforts ground into gear.At first the focus was rescuing the survivors, then it became the grim task of recovering bodies.
Providing aid to those living in the shattered wreckage was a monumental problem from the first hours as well. Water, food and medical supplies for the thousands who remained in the devastated area were extremely limited.
On the third day the goverment began looking for engineers to help the clean up and start the rebuilding. It will be a daunting task. Whole cities lie in ruins and the region's infrastructure is in tatters. Basic services and access to region is spotty or nonexistant.
My story on the situation, Cleanup and Reconstruction From Peru Quake May Take Years, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record (It also features a slightly different slide-show of the devastation). In addition, my account of my visit to the disaster zone, Life in the ruins of Peru, is recounted on my ENR.com blog, Points South. read more
monday, august 20, 2007
The Peru Earthquake
Last week, Southern Peru was devastated by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. The death toll has already topped 500 and is expected to climb substantially in the days to come. Whole cities have been razed to the ground.This weekend, I traveled to one of the towns hardest hit by the temblor, Pisco. Authorities there say more than 70 percent of the city has been destroyed. Having seen it myself, I have to say that's probably a conservative estimate.
I have arranged some of the photographs I took there into a slideshow to show a bit of what "normal" life is like in Pisco right now. If you would like to help the relief effort, I urge you to do so through Oxfam America who are one of the best organized groups laboring to get assistance to those affected across the region.
