Peruvians remain stranded as floodwaters decimate key infrastructure

Chris Jasurek
By Chris Jasurek
March 28, 2017World News
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Historic flooding has taken a toll on Peru’s roads, destroying main thoroughfares, like the Pan-American Highway, and paralyzing traffic in coastal parts of the country.

According to official data, the flooding has damaged some 4660 miles (7,500 kilometers) of roads and 509 pedestrian and vehicular bridges.

Portions of the Pan-American Highway North, which unites the entire coastal strip of Peru, have fallen victim to the unrelenting rains and overflowing rivers.

he destruction prompted Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to make reconstruction on the road a priority. He called the highway “the oxygen of the country.”

Meanwhile, cargo trucks and travelers are finding themselves stranded as damage to roads and bridges are evaluated. Peru’s Transport Ministry has deployed construction crews to flood-ravaged locations to fix or install provisional bridges.

Some buildings in the city of Piura, 1,000 kilometers north of Lima, collapsed on March 27, 2017, after nearly 15 hours of rain caused the Piura River to overflow, flooding neighbourhoods in most of the city. The El Nino climate phenomenon is causing muddy flash floods and rivers to overflow along the entire Peruvian coast, isolating communities and neighborhoods. Most cities face water shortages as water lines have been compromised by mud and debris. / AFP PHOTO / PATRICIA LACHIRA (Photo credit should read PATRICIA LACHIRA/AFP/Getty Images)
Some buildings in the city of Piura, 1,000 kilometers north of Lima, collapsed on March 27, 2017, after nearly 15 hours of rain caused the Piura River to overflow, flooding neighbourhoods in most of the city. The El Nino climate phenomenon is causing muddy flash floods and rivers to overflow along the entire Peruvian coast, isolating communities and neighborhoods. Most cities face water shortages as water lines have been compromised by mud and debris. / AFP PHOTO / PATRICIA LACHIRA (Photo credit should read PATRICIA LACHIRA/AFP/Getty Images)

Vendors have resorted to carrying products on their backs to cross destroyed roads and bridges, after being stranded for weeks. A gas truck driver commented on the damage to the Pan-American Highway, “Destroyed. You can’t get through. Products are spoiling.”

Transport Minister Martin Vizcarra said that of the 509 damaged bridges and more than 100 have completely collapsed. “The problem is big. We, the Transport Ministry, have currently in our warehouses nine bridges. So we cannot meet that demand if we don’t get more units,” he said.

He added that crews are working around the clock to make fixes, but that bridge designs will need to be improved in the future.

Peru is suffering through an unusually heavy rainy season after a sudden warming of Pacific waters off Peru’s coast unleashed torrential downpours in a damaging local El Niño phenomenon.

The flood has killed more than 80 people and displaced thousands.

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