It is one of only eight of its kind surviving in the world.
It was
stopped for decades
and it was even analyzed to dismantle it and
sell it for scrap.
Six years ago he started again, but the river that crosses symbolized
the political "crack" like never before.
He stood up again and now, after several discussions, announcements and unfinished projects, he moved again.
The Nicolás Avellaneda transporter
bridge
, which links the neighborhood of La Boca with the municipality of Avellaneda,
returned to work for tourism purposes
.
And add one more activity in La Boca, one of the neighborhoods of the City that attracts the most visitors.
The shuttle runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
with the exception of rainy days, strong winds, or electrical storms.
It has the capacity to transport
25 people on each trip.
And it leaves from each of the banks of the Riachuelo every 30 minutes.
It is estimated that per day it makes
13 trips and transports 325 people.
failed start
2017 was the year of commissioning, after a long restoration work.
And the first trip was left in the middle of a political rift between the Buenos Aires Government and the Municipality of Avellaneda.
The restoration work on the Nicolás Avellaneda ferry lasted five years.
Despite the fact that it was inaugurated in 2017, it has continued to stand still until now.
(Photo: Silvana Boemo)
The management and maintenance were in charge of
National Highway.
As planned, control would pass into the hands of the Buenos Aires Government.
But in 2019 the national administration changed, from Together for Change to Frente de Todos, and none of that happened.
One of the organizations that oversees the care of the ferry is the
Fundación por la Boca
.
"For the neighborhood, the Nicolás Avellaneda has a very important meaning since 1914," said
Gabriel Lorenzo
, executive director of the organization, in conversation with
Clarín.
"At the time, it seemed crazy to us that after a tremendous investment that was made at the national level and for a political issue,
it did not work
," added Lorenzo, noting: "It only moved that time in September 2017, when we made the opening.
Afterwards, we bring different proposals so that it opens on different days.
After a year we managed to make it work
for certain events
and National Highway never finished deciding the total opening”.
the Nicolás Avellaneda ferry bridge resumed trips with people.
Photo Telam
The Foundation said that now that tourist trips have resumed, they seek
to promote that the Nicolás Avellaneda bridge
has adequate lighting, along with the important emblems of the City.
Also, together with the World Ferry Association, they are in negotiations for UNESCO to declare the only eight ferries in the world as cultural heritage of humanity: the
Nicolás Avellaneda is the only one in America.
The
same body recognized it in 2019 with the Blue Shield, a distinction that gives it
world heritage
status and means, for example, that it must be protected in the event of war or natural disasters.
Historical tour
The ferry works as a reflection of Argentine history.
It was thought in 1904, the pieces were brought
by boat from England
and it was put together on the coast of the Riachuelo like a Meccano.
When it was inaugurated in 1914, progress seemed unstoppable on both banks of the river.
It is that at the beginning of the 20th century the
movement of workers from one shore to the other
was vital for the shipyards, the coal bunkers and the Anglo refrigerator, which had 15,000 employees.
The bridge is 52 meters high and its extension is 77 meters.
The most interesting thing is its horizontal beam, which supports the ferry's gondola, capable of supporting a load of
up to 50 tons.
With that hanging platform, in addition to people, cars, trucks and even trams crossed.
The tour lasted five minutes and the service was free.
It worked from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and, in the event of a power outage, it could be moved with manually operated winches.
But over time, the shuttle lost value.
Especially since 1940, when the new Nicolás Avellaneda vehicular bridge was built.
And in 1960 the ferry was no longer working.
In 1993, the government of
Carlos Menem wanted to sell it for scrap.
But the neighbors managed to stop the plan.
He continued to be detained until the sporadic movements since 2017. Until now.
SC
look also
La Boca ferry bridge: a sleeping giant that will make trips again to cross the Riachuelo
Was the Riachuelo navigable again?: The answer divides specialists
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