Puente Blanco De Quebradillas

The “Puento Blanco” refers to an old railway bridge built in 1922 by the American Railroad Company located in Quebradillas Puerto Rico. It is a historic reinforced concrete arch bridge, the tallest of its type on the island. Originally built for train service, it was later converted for vehicles. The bridge spans across the Quebrada Mala Canyon Gorge which is 150 feet deep and 118 feet wide. A major milestone was achieved in August of 2025 with the installation of the new modular bridge’s main trusses using large cranes. The project is now part of Puerto Rico’s journey toward resilient infrastructure and is in place to provide renewed connectivity to a long closed panoramic highway. The goal of the project was to provide a reliable modern transportation route while preserving the historic Puento Blanco area.

A project of this magnitude and distance requires spot-on communication with the fabricator and the galvanizer to meet the scheduling demands to complete the project on-time without delays. The fabricator worked closely with the Operations, Plant Manager and Inside sales teams to complete the project. The new structure is a Cambridge Flat Model truss bridge, strategically placed over the existing bridge without physically impacting its structure. The original reinforced concrete arch bridge built in 1922 by the American Railroad Company, will remain as a historic landmark. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and on Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000! The project’s coastal location in Puerto Rico made hot-dip galvanizing the clear and essential choice. With constant exposure to salt-laden air and high humidity, the steel required a coating system capable of delivering long-term corrosion protection. Hot dip galvanizing ensured the structural elements would achieve the durability and extended service life necessary for the bridge’s performance in such a demanding marine environment. There were 13 containers of steel shipping out of Jacksonville, Florida to Puerto Rico, time at sea was approximately 3-4 days, and the project took approximately 6 weeks to complete the bridge once the steel arrived. At 211'-3" Long, 20'-2" Wide with a 4'- 0"sidewalk, it is believed that this bridge is the longest Cambridge Flat model that the fabricator, who specializes in modular bridge manufacturing, has ever produced.