January 2013
Millet Bridge Reopens in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
On 04 January 2013, the reconstructed Millet Bridge in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was officially opened. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Haitian President Michel Martelly and U.S. Ambassador Pamela White.
Working with CEEPCO Contracting, LLC, Keast & Hood Co. provided quality assurance and quality control design oversight and peer review for structural engineering and documentation by C.C. Johnson & Malhotra, PC, bridge engineers. The new bridge is a two-lane, reinforced concrete structure.
The former Millet Bridge was a single-span, 80-foot steel structure across the Millet Ravine on the Route de Freres, the main linkage between Petion-Ville and Tabarre. The 30-year-old bridge was in severely deteriorated condition, including excessive deflective due to loads and lack of maintenance as well as damage sustained during the 2010 earthquake. In addition, the ravine bed was poorly maintained and filled with large piles of trash and debris. Heavy truck traffic related to earthquake recovery – debris trucks, water trucks, and other construction equipment – and high volumes of water in the ravine during the rainy season necessitated a new bridge.
The new bridge was funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
Photos of the reopening ceremony courtesy of CEEPCO Contracting, LLC (President Michel Martelly pictured in pink shirt; CEEPCO President Harold Charles pictured with hard hat)
Click to read more coverage of the reopening: Haiti Libre Caribbean Journal