Further investigation, and discussions with specialists, led to the conclusion that the materials used were not appropriate, were of bad quality, and likely cut down on costs. At the time, a Facebook post by Escourido declared "This Bridge is poorly made. At the sections where the bridge joins together, they used materials that are rarely used for this type of construction [t]here are better materials for these joints but they are more expensive. The beams should have a curvature so that when they are joined up the gap is not evident..the wall that is supposed to protect cars from flying off the bridge are not tall enough therefore, motorists are at high risk of accidents or death. The combined use of steel and concrete will eventually lead to rust due to our proximity to the ocean, and maintenance costs will be steep This is the Legacy of our current government."
Authorities at the time remained silent, and the only response came in December of 2013 when current Governor Kiko Vega was elected and he declared that the project had cost 17 million dollars. However, this information was not detailed enough and the group is still attempting to obtain foundational documents from the administration. Current calculations seem to indicate that approximately 50 million dollars have not been accounted for and that funds may have been diverted by the previous administrations of former mexican president Felipe Calderón anf former governor of Baja California, José Guadalupe Osuna Millán.
When asked whether there is a way to repair the damage to the bridge, Escourido replies that that is something the experts will have to determine, but he is sure that what has happened to this bridge is likely to occur with the other three bridges where the same materials were used, and construction was handled by the same engineers.
Brenda.Colon@sandiegored.com
borderzonie@gmail.com
