2023-05-15 03:05:00
«The problem is that they all happen together. They do not circulate one by one and they go very fast. Diana is standing on the Paso Córdoba bridge and behind her is a truck with sand, which has already left the South Region behind and is about to enter the Alto Valle, on Route 6. From the front she sees another of those masses approaching, which surpass 40 tons when loaded with one of the most important inputs for the Vaca Muerta industry.
Diana lives a few meters from the Río Negro and in her neighborhood -which bears the same name as the bridge- everyone knows that they must pay much more attention than before when driving.
But that is not the most worrying thing for them. The vibration of the bridge when those two trucks cross brings back that feeling that spreads throughout the place and that another neighbor put into words: «I am afraid to pass. There is an opening. They never maintained it or fixed it. He is going to fall because they did not take care of him, “says that woman before BLACK RIVER.
The authorities of Vialidad Rionegrina publicly stated last week that That fear of a tragedy of such an important magnitude has no basis. From the agency they spoke of “inspections” -never disseminated so far- that determined the absence of structural failures in a work that began to be executed in 1965 and that was inaugurated in 1970.
What was also revealed is that The bridge plans are nowhere to be found. and given the lack of certainty about the engineering and materials used for more than five decades, a consultancy will be commissioned to analyze the heart of the bridge and know for sure how much weight it supports.
Roads also spoke of a current movement “from 250 to 300 trucks per day”but what is not openly stated is how many times these vehicles pass through Paso Córdoba and in what way they do it.
The rhythm of the trucks with the input for Vaca Muerta
BLACK RIVER He registered this incessant coming and going during different moments of the past week, in addition to consulting the companies that operate in the sand business for hydrocarbon activity in the region, reaching conclusions that go far beyond the numbers admitted by officials. of government.
Last Tuesday, between 9 and 10 in the morning, there were 55 vehicles with hoppers that traveled the 540 meters that there is from one margin to another of the Negro River.
In the next 10 minutes, the pace picked up, with 11 more trucks.
One day later, at 4:00 p.m., 8 trucks were counted in 10 minutesdropping to 4 units in 10 minutes when the clock had passed 18:30.
At that level of intensity, impossible that the march is not in line at many times of the day, giving shape to the postcard that makes the residents of Paso Córdoba fear, with three, four or even five trucks on the bridge simultaneously.
The head of Vialidad Rionegrina, Raúl Grun, was consulted by BLACK RIVER on this particularity and maintained that “there is no limit of units on the bridge”because these types of projects “are calculated for that”.
The official assured that the key to avoiding problems lies in the weight of the trucks and that is why they are checked periodically, without any serious irregularities having been detected so far.
The challenge for the provincial government, which is also assumed by companies in the energy sector, is transfer these certainties to the residents of the neighborhood and to the rest of the Roquenses and Valletanos who use the protected natural area for recreational and sports activities.
«If it breaks, the South Line will be cut off. It is our heritage, it is a Roquense pride and it is the connection with other regions. It’s not a joke,” said another neighbor, confirming the current distance between what they see when they stand on the bridge.
A single company leaves its mark at least 280 times a day
Four companies that work in the hydrocarbon industry regularly cross the Paso Córdoba bridge with their trucks: YPF, Arenas Patagonicas, Aluvional (Vista) and NRG.
Only this last company mobilizes an average of 35 to 40 vehicles per day, with drivers who work in 12 hour shifts and that meet -at least- two laps per turnaccording to data reported from the firm to BLACK RIVER.
The routes are from the quarries of the South Region to the plant set up a few months ago in the North Industrial Park of Allen.
That is only one of the operators leaves its mark on the Paso Córdoba bridge at least 280 times in one daywith differentiated impacts, because half of the time they travel loaded and return to the southern zone they come “light”.
The numbers speak for themselves about the impact of the activity on the daily life of the Alto Valle, something that the companies are well aware of and that requires constant dialogue with neighbors and officials at all levels of the State.
NRG spokespersons highlighted the positive effect of the dialogue tables, a space that is complemented with training for drivers.
“Special attention is paid to behavior. From the prohibition that they honk when they cross each other, to the speed of circulation. There is a monitoring room evaluating the satellite control records, but in addition to that they are asked to take special consideration of the environment, as in the case of Paso Córdoba, because we know that in addition to the neighborhood it is a place of recreation”, they said from the company.
Regarding these unpaved roads, the company sources consulted also confirmed that the private sector contributes resources for permanent maintenance.
The main investments are made on Provincial Route 7, which extends along the southern bank of the Negro River, until it connects with Route 6, in the Las Tres Cruces area.
- 60
- kilometers per hour is the maximum speed at which these vehicles must travel, dropping to 40 km/h on gravel roads.
“They never maintained it, nor did they fix it. They didn’t take care of him”
Fear and discomfort appear behind the words of the residents of Paso Córdoba who spoke with BLACK RIVER about the state of the historic bridge, which is part of their daily lives.
«The trucks begin to pass at 3 in the morning. It is going to fall and we are not going to have a way to pass, “said Juan Carlos, one of the most concerned because he lives a few meters from the structure.
His wife, Roselina, notes that “the problem did not arise now”, complaining about the negligence in maintenance.
«We are going to stay on foot. If something happens to us, not even ambulances will be able to pass »warned Juan Carlos angrily, also detailing that the trucks circulate “from 3 in the morning until 9 at night.”
“Although we do not feel our house shake, we hear and see the enormous number of trucks that pass by all day,” Roselina said, adding: “There are some neighbors who don’t give it importance, but we see how the bridge moves.”
Another woman from the neighborhood recounted that her father, Juan Alegre, worked in construction, back in the 1960s. “He told me that the bridge was built for people and some other mobile to cross, but it’s not designed to support that kind of weight.”he explained.
«The problem is that they all happen together. They do not circulate one by one and they go very fast,” said Diana, another neighbor.
«I am afraid to pass. There is an opening. They never maintained it or fixed it. It is going to fall because they did not take care of it »said another neighbor, who requested a reservation on her name.
A neighbor who usually drives through Paso Córdoba said that on one of her outings she saw a huge number of trucks passing the bridge at the same time. “They were going at a very strong speed and with a lot of weight. They passed one after the other.”he expressed.
According to the residents of Paso Córdoba, one of the problems with respect to trucks is that not only do they not respect the speed, but they they also ignore cyclists when they leave on the bike path. “They can’t do anything, they say the vehicles don’t affect the bridge, but they do. Everyone sees it,” the lady said with concern.
“Investigators would have to go under the bridge when the trucks go by to see how it shakes. They don’t go by one, they go by three», ended.
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