Life Lessons From the Choluteca Bridge

The river changed course, and the bridge became redundant

Truth is stranger than fiction. Actual stories are more exciting than imagined narratives.

Until recently, I had never heard of or even imagined that a river would change its direction after they built a bridge on it.

Here is what happened.

In Honduras, Central America, the government built a new bridge over the river Choluteca to connect it to a new bypass road. For a country known for its fiery hurricanes, they should build a bridge in such a way that it should withstand Nature’s fury.

And they did it. A Japanese firm built the bridge with the latest technology available.

The construction began in 1996 and ended in 1998.

After a few months, Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras and deposited 75 inches of rain in four days, equivalent to what they received in six months.

The river Choluteca flooded the country. Over 7000 people lost their lives.

The hurricane damaged or destroyed most of the bridges except one.