CONSTRUCTIONHEADLINE
A Hidden Treasure In Agat Dave Macaluso A two hundred year old hidden treasure from our past, alongside a road in Agat was slowly losing its battle against time and nature. The Talaifak Bridge withstood numerous storms and flood water in its day, but in recent years, the bridge was in danger of collapsing. If this happened a piece of our history would have been lost forever. On Modern day Guam, Drivers and passengers in vehicles, driving approximately 35 miles per hour on our busy roads may not be unaware that there could be century old forgotten treasures, hidden in the brush and jungles along side the road. One such treasure from our past is a small Spanish era bridge, the Talaifak Bridge, which lies about 30 yards away from the road in Agat. This little two hundred year old bridge may not be able to withstand the weight of a modern day car, but during the time it was built it held great importance to the island community of yesteryear. Back in the 18th century, when Guam was still a Spanish Colony, this small bridge was heavily traveled by people either by foot, by carabao or on horse. And during that time the Talaifak Bridge, built in 1785, was a link from Umatac, the port in the south, to Hagatna which was the seat of government. During that time the bridge was part of this dirt trail that was called El Camino Real or The Royal Road.
Originally this double arched bridge was built out of wood, but it was later rebuilt with sturdy stone in the mid 19th century. The bridge stood for nearly 228 years before it was in danger of collapsing due to water damage and erosion. In order to preserve our history, this historical bridge needed to be restored. Rex International, Inc. was the construction company that was named to do the work on the Talaifak Bridge Restoration Project. Rex International worked closely with the Department of Public Works and the Guam Preservation Trust. The goal for this project was to restore the bridge back to its old glory and to ensure that the bridge was preserved to be stronger and structurally sound. In addition, the restoration work included restoring a portion of the bridge that had previously fallen apart due to water damage and natural erosion. Boulders were also added around the shore line to break up the waves and water flow near the bridge. Since erosion was a main cause of the original bridge from deteriorating, something needed to be done to protect the restored bridge for the future. Part of this project included diverting the water flow from the current modern day bridge away from the old historical bridge. This was done by creating a large culvert next to the historic site which was intended to divert as much water from the bridge as possible, this will keep the flood waters away from the bridge protecting it from future erosion. After all was said and down, this restoration project took over a year and had a price tag of $900,000 to preserve this bridge to the way it looked like in the early 19th century. This project was funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Guam Preservation Trust.
12 | JUNE2013
Restoring a piece of history could be very expensive because authentic materials need to be used to maintain the integrity of the historical structure. During the restoration of the Talaifak Bridge, original and similar materials were used to repair structural components of the bridge.
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Before the ribbon cutting ceremony that was held in late May (2013) to unveil the restored bridge, other cosmetic items needed to be addressed pertaining to the surrounding area where the bridge stands. The jungle growth surrounding the restored bridge needed to be cut back and the area now includes beautiful landscaping, seating, lighting, railing and a parking area to accommodate tour buses. People can now easily see the historic bridge up close instead of just seeing it from afar from the side of the road. The Talaifak Bridge is one of two double arched stone bridges from the Spanish era still standing in the Marianas in the 21st century. The other bridge is located in Cella Bay. In addition to the Talaifak Bridge, there are several ongoing historical sites being restored around the island. The Plaza de España and the Merizo Bell Tower are currently being restored as part of an initiative to preserve the island's heritage. Our ancestors from the past will be proud of us for keeping Guam's history alive.
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