Puente Blanco De Quebradillas

Puente Blanco is a historic railway bridge built in 1922 by the American Railroad Company in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico. A reinforced-concrete arch bridge, the tallest of its kind on the island, first carried trains, then converted to vehicles. It spans the Quebrada Mala Canyon Gorge which is 150 feet deep and 118 feet wide. In August 2025, a major milestone was achieved as large cranes set the new modular bridge’s main trusses in place. As part of Puerto Rico’s journey toward resilient infrastructure, the project restores a long-closed panoramic route – providing reliable modern transportation while preserving the Puente Blanco corridor.

A project of this magnitude and distance demands precision communication among the fabricator, galvanizer, and project team to meet schedule without delays. The fabricator partnered closely with Operations, the Plant Manager, and Inside Sales to deliver. The new structure, a Cambridge Flat Model truss bridge, is set over the existing bridge to restore connectivity without physically impacting the 1922 arch, which remains in place as a protected landmark. Puente Blanco was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000.

On Puerto Rico’s coast where salt-laden air and relentless humidity never rest hot-dip galvanizing was the clear and essential choice. By bonding zinc to the steel, HDG creates a durable barrier and sacrificial providing durable corrosion resistance. The result is structural steel built for a demanding marine environment and a bridge designed to keep its promise, season after season.

The bridge steel shipped in 13 containers from Jacksonville, Florida, with 3–4 days at sea. Once the steel arrived, the bridge was completed in approximately six weeks. Measuring 211'-3" long and 20'-2" wide, with a 4'-0" sidewalk, it is believed to be the longest Cambridge Flat Model the fabricator who specializes in modular bridge manufacturing has ever produced.