Emergency bridge solution from US for Nepal

Sophisticated temporary bridge technology has been provided by the US to Nepal to help with emergency access. The US  Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) supplied four prefabricated modular steel bridges, manufactured by Acrow Bridge. These temporary bridges will be used to allow emergency access to disaster hit areas in Nepal. The country’s tough climate and challenging geography mean it is vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides, avalanches, earthquakes and floods. Acrow is a specialist in bridge technology and these units are assembled from steel components that can be quickly transported, assembled and reused where required. The Acrow bridges sent to Nepal will be stored along the country’s major highways to keep a main supply route open in the event of a disaster. The bridges are over 76m long and 5m wide, with a load capacity of up to 120tonnes. They can be assembled within 12 hours to different lengths and widths, using minimal equipment.       

A small delegation of Nepalese Army personnel recently completed a week-long training course on bridge assembly and maintenance at Acrow’s facilities in New Jersey. They will serve as trainers to help the Nepalese Army provide emergency response and humanitarian relief when needed.