CubaPLUS Magazine

The passers-by who circulate today through the old and super-necessary Almendares River Bridge, part of the central 23rd Street in the Cuban capital, are so accustomed to its frame that they hardly notice its existence, absorbed in the bustle of daily life.

But 112 years after its inauguration, on January 23, 1911, this vital segment of the city of Havana, well deserves the memory of those times in which its construction gave it the seal of being the pioneer work, among those of its kind, built in reinforced concrete in Cuba. With the main value of serving as a fast link to two parts of the city: Marianao and Playa, with the most historic and original part of the expansive Cuban city, whose growth exceeded the well-known emporiums of Cerro and El Vedado.

It is also true that its erection represented a demonstration of the coming of age of Creole civil engineering of those times, since by rejecting making it out of metal, which would be quickly damaged by nearby marine corrosion, a reinforced concrete platform of complicated assembly had to be added,as support for its structure.Equally impressive, although not as difficult as previously mentioned, was the raising of its main arch of the graceful groove by the river with an extension of 58 meters.

They say that among the main promoters of the construction of this useful work were businessmen José López Rodríguez, known as "Pote", and Ramón Mendoza, who fully committed themselves to the urbanization of Miramar, although other wealthy promoted their interests for convenience. the advance of the upper part of Marianao.

It is even said they had to compete hard for their project to have priority over another group that clamored for the construction of the Havana Bay tunnel, east of the city. Therefore, as of January 1911, with the opening of the 23rd Bridge, also called at the beginning of &Pote," the impediments that slowed down the speed of development and communication in the neighborhoods, fundamentally exclusive, called Miramar, Country Club, Kohly and Alturas de Almendares.

Suffice it to say that before that date, those who wanted to bypass the Almendares River on Calle 23 had to do so by crossing a narrow suspension bridge on foot, only for pedestrian use, we repeat.The cars and other types of  transport were transferred in a kind of barge called bongos.The slowness was exasperating even for the accustomed passers-by of the beginning of the 20th century.

When the final touches were being given to the bridge, the firm Havana Electric Railway Co. won the corresponding government authorization to build a double track in its space that would facilitate the benefits of a tram to Marianao, in exchange for providing public lighting for the brand new work. , cover the cost of this service, and guarantee the good condition of the roads. They say that the work had a reported cost of more than 217 thousand pesos. A sum that in those days was a respectable value.