LA PINTADA

The La Pintada suspension footbridge was constructed in the spring of 2010, with the assistance of Flatiron Construction. The four communities that lay beyond the river are now able to safely cross the Rio Copan during the high-water season. About a 30 minute drive from the world-famous Copan Ruins, the communities beyond Agua Caliente are often overshadowed by the tourists who stream in and out of the town every day. This project served as an opportunity to both serve and work with the local people as well as to provide an experience for the members of the Flatiron Construction crew, many of whom had never worked in a rural developing community. The challenge was immense but the product incredibly rewarding.

The project brought together community members from the four beneficiary villages, each providing volunteer labor for the duration of the bridge project. For some, this required several hours of walking just to reach the construction site but based on the turn-out to the inauguration, every minute was well worth the effort. The inauguration brought together village leaders, the mayor from the Municipality of Copan and countless others, all of whom came together to show their appreciation and support of the project.