Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez this week defended the 3.5-million-dollar decision to dismantle and then reassemble an historic footbridge crossing the Santiago River at the bottom of the Huentitan Canyon on the northeastern fringe of Guadalajara.
The Arcediano footbridge was taken down in 2008 to make way for a planned 160-meter curtain dam designed to supply the metro area’s water for the next 30 years.
However, the dam project was shelved in 2009 in favor of a much cheaper option – at a quarter of the estimated cost – further up the Verde River, which flows into the Santiago.
“(The bridge) was dismantled at the time because Guadalajara needs water,” Gonzalez said Tuesday at the re-opening of the footbridge, now located some 600 meters from its original location.
“There are 200 neighborhoods (in Guadalajara) without water. We have to take advantage of the Verde River’s clean water.”The governor alluded to the consistent water loss from Lake Chapala, which currently supplies two-thirds of the metro area’s water needs.
“I am not alarmist but I see the daily reports of Chapala’s water levels. It’s worth paying attention to this because I couldn’t imagine anything worse than a Lake Chapala without water.”
Also speaking at the ceremony was Jalisco Water Commission President Cesar Coll Carabias, who hinted that the Arcediano Dam project was only “on hold” and would be built at some stage in the future.
If that happens, the dam would not interfere with the reassembled bridge, which now crosses the Santiago some 600 meters downstream from its original position.
Since being dismantled, significant renovations have been made to the footbridge. Many of its original materials have been replaced, including the wooden footboards, railings and a good part of the stonework.
Engineer Salvador Collado designed the bridge in 1894. Before highway construction, it served as a major trading link between the Los Altos region of Jalisco and the state of Zacatecas.
Collado was supposedly inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
Gonzalez said the reopening of the bridge should be seen as symbol of unity: “Bridges unite peoples unlike walls, such as the Berlin Wall and the wall separating Mexico and the United States.”
How to visit city’s awe-inspiring Huentitan canyon
By John Pint
The 4,270 meter-long trail down to the bottom of the 530-meters-deep Huentitan Canyon, where the Arcediano footbridge is found, is partly cobblestone and partly dirt, with plenty of shade. It takes about 90 minutes to get down and another 90 to get back up, if you’re in reasonable shape. To get to the start of the trail take Calle Belisario Domínguez northward, crossing the Periférico east of the zoo. Continue northeast a few minutes toward the very end of Belisario, which is also the terminus for bus line 32. After passing Calle Francisco Sosa (also known as Calle Mateo Hernandez), watch for an empty lot on the right. This is an inexpensive parking place well worth the price. Leave your car here and walk northeast 230 meters to the gateway to the Huentitán Arcediano trail (on your right). By the way, dogs are not allowed on the trail. Driving time from the Periferico to the parking spot: five minutes at the most. Make sure to take along plenty of water.