Oyapock River Bridge

3.8733333333333 - 51.816166666667Koordinaten: 3 ° 52 ' 24 "N, 51 ° 48' 58.2 " W

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Oyapock

The bridge over the Oyapock (French Pont sur ​​l' Oyapock or port. Ponte sobre o rio Oiapoque ) is a bridge over the river Oyapock or Oiapoque in northeastern South America. It combines French Guiana to Brazil and will be the first official border crossing the French overseas departments to other States by land to the official opening.

The bridge is located three kilometers northeast of the city Oiapoque ( Amapá, Brazil), and two kilometers southwest of Saint -Georges -de- l'Oyapock (French Guiana ). It is a cable-stayed bridge with two pylons and a total length of 378 m. The economic importance of the bridge consists mainly in connection French Guiana with the seaport of Santana near Macapa, the capital of Amapá; comes to the symbolic importance as a link between the European Union and Mercosul / Mercosur. Furthermore, it includes one of the remaining gaps on the road link on the north coast of South America.

History

1997, the President of Brazil and France, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Jacques Chirac, at the initiative of the then Governor of Amapá, João Capiberibe, building the bridge between the two countries; In the same year a cooperation agreement between French Guiana and Amapá was signed. First preliminary studies for the construction were started in early 2000. Luiz Inácio Lula on a visit in 2005 was da Silva presented the project in France, and ratified by the parliaments of France and Brazil in 2006 and 2007. In April 2009, the work was awarded to the Brazilian company EGESA - CMT. In July 2009, the preparatory work began in November to work on the actual bridge.

Parallel to the construction of the bridge is the access road from Oiapoque to Macapa, the National Highway BR -156, paved and improved. In March 2011, still lacked a 100 km long section between Calcoene and a point about 70 km south of Oiapoque, which is in poor condition. The break of some ailing and overloaded by the heavy traffic bridges made ​​of wood had repeatedly led to a complete isolation of the city Oiapoque. So it came to the destruction of a bridge on the BR- 156 between Macapa and Oiapoque in November 2010 and other incidents are also problems in the supply of construction site with material. In addition, there was disagreement on the exact course of the border. The deadline for completion, originally scheduled for December 2010, therefore delayed.

In April 2011, an agreement between France and Brazil, it was announced by the citizens of the two border towns of Saint- Georges and Oiapoque allowed to stay without a visa in the respective opposite city from the inauguration of the bridge, as long as they take up work.

In August 2011, work on the bridge had been completed according to the website of the Development Authority of French Guiana. The inauguration of the bridge, however, is still delayed because the driveway is on the Brazilian side is still missing. After further delays, the work was resumed at this driveway in August 2012.

The importance and impact

Main reason for the construction of the bridge is the better connectivity French Guiana on world trade. The bridge connects French Guiana, and particularly the Space Station ESA, the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou as its most important economic factor for the first time on a continuous road link with a full-fledged sea port ( in Macapa Santana ). In French Guiana itself, there are only small ports, which are not designed for large transport volumes.

Furthermore, a gap in the northern South American cross-connection on the northeast coast between Venezuela and Belém and thus the continuous road network in Brazil is closed with the bridge. However, some gaps still exist, then there exists so far no bridge over the Amazon, which is why hundreds of kilometers long ferry in the Amazon delta must be used between Macapa and Belem. Other gaps exist between the border town of Saint- Laurent- du- Maroni and Suriname (regular ferry line ) and between Guyana and Venezuela, there is a long detour over the Brazilian state of Roraima has been required.

Possible problems are the increase in child prostitution and other problems of the border region, such as smuggling, human trafficking and illegal migration, fears; continue to the city Oiapoque could become a transit point and lose economically so important.