One month after its completion, the submersible bridge has already become an indispensable part of people’s lives.
When the bridge surface is submerged due to high water levels during the rainy season, instructions and signs are given to close the bridge to traffic, but users are allowed to pass at their own discretion up to a depth of about 15 cm where the red and white curbstones are visible.
After the flood, driftwood caught on the bridge are collected and used for firewood. The fact that all the villagers worked together to collect the wood before the water had receded completely shows how important the bridge is to them.
Here is a video of driftwood being collected after a flood. If driftwood of this size had hit or caught on a conventional bridge built by the residents, it would have been swept away easily. JIP’s submersible bridges are strong enough not to be broken or dammed by driftwood, however by removing driftwood after a flood like this, the bridge can be used more safely.
The area where the submersible bridge was built has mountain ranges to the north and east, and rivers to the west and south, so when the water level rises during the rainy season, access to the neighboring cities to the west is completely cut off. With the construction of the submersible bridge, people will be able to go to school and hospital safely even during the rainy season. In addition, since most of the residents make their living from farming, they will be able to grow crops regularly and sell them to the cities. We hope that through the self-help efforts of the villagers, the community will develop in the future.
Please refer to the Google Map below for the detailed location.
The bridge currently shown on Google Maps is the conventional bridge built by the residents during the dry season, but soon it will be updated to the submersible bridge built by JIP. (If the photo is taken from the same altitude, the width of the submersible bridge appears much wider. ※See the pictures below.)
Photo of the conventional bridge
(Moe Nine Bridge, 152m)
Photo of the submersible bridge
(Teza Bridge, 83m, completed in 2018)