2018 Bridges to Prosperity: Boca de Lura Footbridge

The cables were placed, the walls built and the wood prepped. After two weeks of hard work, the finish line was in sight for the TT Gives Back and Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) team constructing a vital footbridge over the Lura River in Panama. Thornton Tomasetti partnered with B2P for the project, which to date has helped build nearly 300 bridges in 22 countries. With the completion of this footbridge, the nonprofit is estimated to have helped its one-millionth community resident. This tremendous accomplishment would not have been possible without the relentless work of the community of Boca de Lura. For every single rock that our team moved, every bucket of mortar we mixed, every bag of cement we carried, the community moved, mixed, and carried twenty. It is their bridge, after all. They built it (with our help), and we were honored to have the opportunity to be there.

The team would like to extend its gratitude to Bridges to Prosperity, especially the Panama in-country staff, for orchestrating this challenging logistical effort, preparing our campsite, and setting up supply routes, and last, but certainly not least, the TT Gives Back initiative and Thornton Tomasetti’s Corporate Sustainability department for funding and organizing this unforgettable trip. This is an opportunity that everyone in the AEC industry should experience. We hope our coverage of the trip has encouraged would-be volunteers to apply next year.