Ecuador’s new bridge to be built in sections

Ecuador is working on plans for the new South Crossing Bridge (SCB) spanning the Guayas River, to improve transport connections for the port of Guayaquil. The plans call for the SCB to be constructed in three sections, with the project expected to cost US$1.04 billion. The schedule calls for the link to be completed in 2022, with work starting in the third quarter of 2018. The project is being handled under 40-year concession deal that encompasses the bridge and highway links. The bridge itself will measure 1.25km-long while the transport upgrades to the port include work to 48km of roads as well as building an additional 2.6km of bridges that includes a crossing of the Cobinas River. The SCB will be constructed at a location where the Guayas River narrows, while also minimising the distance between the port of Guayaquil and the Durán–Boliche highway and the Boliche–Puerto Inca highway. The SCB will be a cable-stayed design with three piers, featuring a y-shaped configuration and twin decks, each carrying two traffic lanes, an emergency lane and provision for pedestrians.