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Puente del Progreso (Bridge of Progress) -
Union of towns on the Eco-touristic route
of the Sierra del Tigre
By Jesús de Avila - Translation by Eduardo Rincón Gallardo - April, 2008

Just over three years ago, an excursion to Mascota, Talpa de Allende or San Sebastián del Oeste during Winter (forget the rainy season!) on a single-lane dirt road, most of it skirting the Sierra del Tigre mountainside, turned into a real challenge lasting from six to ten hours.

Despite the difficulties the old and rustic road presented due to its uneven topography; believe it or not, many religiously committed families, nature lovers, adventurers and relatives of the sierra people would set off on a mountain crossing trip, be it on foot, on horseback, by car or even on a dangerous bus, conscious of that lingering possibility of never returning. I personally took that journey a few times all the way to San Sebastián del Oeste.

Reading the writings of Armando Carranco, I discovered that since 1930, thanks to the efforts of the town dwellers back then, Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles, gave the go to the initial works of a bridge that would unite the towns deep into this part of the Sierra Madre. The deep gorges were always the greatest handicap to overcome and 75 years later there was still no bridge.

It was not until 2005 that new efforts were undertaken, motivated by the flow of international tourists to these areas, to promote the construction of the bridge uniting the towns of Las Palmas and Mascota, by means of the federal road  Puerto Vallarta – Guadalajara across the ravines instead of around them.

Previous to the construction of the bridge there were two possibilities to unite the towns by road: One was to detour north all the way to Cerro Pelón (Bald Hill) which would represent an extra hour-and-a-half drive; or building a 420ft bridge over the 490ft high ravine, thus reducing the ride to half-an-hour. Finally the decision was for the bridge.

Its construction was achieved by a process in which two enormous segments of its arch are lowered from either side of the ravine until they rest on each other at the center and serve as support for the final bridge. Surely the process of hauling and assembling each 1800ton segment presented great and grave risks with no margin for errors. If the process failed there was no choice but let them fall down to the bottom of the gorge and start over again. The experience and wide knowledge of Engineer Roberto Dávalos López as designer of special structures in Mexico was vital in making this construction challenge become a reality.

After approximately one year of hard and constant labor the bridge was open to traffic, uniting the section that was always the hardest to overcome since the voyages to San Sebastián del Oeste of old times. It is now quite clear Mexico does not lack in technical capacity.

Considered of "special type" for its dimensions, this stylized, rainbow-structure Bridge of Progress is a one-of-a-kind in our country.

The bridge is presently an essential piece of the eco-touristic route of the sierra, as well as a must-stop for every traveler crossing it for the first time. The bridge itself is an attraction and you can catch breathtaking views from either side. You can see the old path set by the mules carrying silver and gold from the mines of the region that later was used in many occasions by us, daring pilgrims and adventurers. Email to a friend.
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The Puente del Progreso is definitely a place to discover!

Jesús de Avila
Email: editor@pvmirror.com

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