President Guillermo Billinghurst Bridge, Road bridge in Puerto Maldonado, Peru
The President Guillermo Billinghurst Bridge, also called Puente Continental, is a steel suspension bridge over the Madre de Dios River in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. Completed in 2011, it is 722 metres long, making it Peru's second-longest bridge after the Nanay Bridge in Iquitos. It was built as part of Section 3 of the South Interoceanic Highway Corridor.
Before the bridge opened in 2011, ferries and river boats were the only way to cross the Madre de Dios, often leaving people and goods stranded for days during floods. Its construction ended a long period of unreliable river crossings for this part of the Amazon.
The bridge carries the name of Guillermo Billinghurst, a Peruvian president known in the early 1900s for pushing social reforms. Locals cross it every day, and for many communities in the area it represents the main link to the rest of the country.
The bridge itself stays open throughout the year, but the roads leading to and from it can become difficult in the rainy season, so checking conditions along Route 30C before setting out is a good idea. Anyone heading further into the areas beyond the river should plan to travel early in the day.
The bridge is formally named after Guillermo Billinghurst, the Peruvian president of 1912 to 1914, though most people in Puerto Maldonado simply call it Puente Continental. Its 722-metre steel span makes it the second-longest bridge in Peru, after the Nanay Bridge in Iquitos. It was built as part of Section 3 of the Corredor Vial Interoceánico Sur, work that began in March 2010, cost 25.71 million dollars and finished in 2011.
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