Above: the new bridge in Freres

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti has inaugurated the new Millet bridge on the Route de Freres funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

The opening ceremony in Freres this week was attended by Haiti President Michel Martelly and US Ambassador to Haiti Pamela White.

The project is located on Haiti’s Route de Freres, the primary link between Petion-Ville and Tabarre in Port-au-Prince.

Construction took approximately one year and cost more than $1.7 million. The bridge is 18 metres long and 8.4 metres wide. Work on the project was carried out by the CEEPCO Contracting company under the supervision of Haiti’s Ministry of Works.

CEEPCO is a Haitian-American company, according to its Web site.

According to USAID, the former bridge, located over a ravine, was “severely deteriorated” and in need of replacement. That situation was only compounded by the earthquake in 2010, which led to a significant increase in traffic on the bridge due to reconstruction work.

“I’m happy when I imagine merchants, private sector employees and the inhabitants of the Plaine-du-Cul-de-Sac area will use this bridge,” White said. “This bridge symbolizes the lasting bond that exists between our two countries.”

White said the US government was working with Haiti on projects “most needed in the area of reconstruction, sustainable development, economic growth and stability for the long term in Haiti.”