The tragedy under the Bridge of the Americas also highlights the country's need to build new roads and the lack of state oversight of its concessions. Following the explosion, it became known that the company involved had debts affecting the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).The head of the Ministry of Government (Mingob) also addressed the impact of the previous government's decisions on the construction of the Fourth Bridge. If it had been built as initially planned, it would have been inaugurated in 2023, and there would be three access roads to West Panama, not two. However, changes to its design will delay its use until 2028."If we had canceled the concession for delinquency, perhaps this accident would not have happened; however, we cannot overlook that all of Panama's concessions must be reviewed by experts periodically," she warned after consultations with Panamá América.Montalvo indicated that investigations to identify those responsible for these actions are already underway at the Public Ministry, but it is not ruled out that the state will become a complainant.In recent months, Panama has discovered irregularities in several of its concessions, leading the General Comptroller's Office to conduct various audits, finding damages of up to $1.337 billion to the state.She added that the incident that occurred last Monday demands that investigations into possible anomalies in the Fourth Bridge be accelerated to determine "why it has been delayed and cost so much," harming the thousands of Panamanians who would benefit from this route."As soon as we have an indictment, what corresponds is that we become a complainant; right now (the investigation) is in a preliminary phase," she said on Radio Panamá.After this revelation, the former president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap), Juan Arias, believes that authorities must reinforce the supervision of these and other operations ceded to private companies, so that they not only comply with what was agreed upon at the time of the concession, but also guarantee their maintenance and operability.
The Executive reported that this Thursday a mission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will arrive to voluntarily collaborate with the technical and structural inspections being carried out by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) on the Bridge of the Americas to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.They stated that they are respecting due process because they do not want to address the issue in a media-driven way, but in accordance with the law.The Minister of Government, Dinoska Montavo, explained that these tanks were installed in the country during World War II (1939-1945) to protect the area from any bombing; however, she acknowledges that they cannot remain under the structure that connects the capital city with the western area, so they are evaluating their relocation.Following the explosion that affected vehicular traffic on the Bridge of the Americas, authorities are analyzing the possibility of relocating the hydrocarbon storage tanks located under the structure to prevent future accidents that could risk the lives of La Boca residents, drivers, and users traveling on the road, and the stability of the structure over the canal.She announced that the area will be remediated to ensure the safety and health of those residing near these structures.Vehicle access to the Bridge of the Americas is open for light vehicles; all other cars must use the Centenario Bridge.The businessman does not rule out that other irregularities of the company may emerge; however, he affirmed that it will be up to the authorities to make the pertinent decisions.In his view, these evaluations should be done monthly, quarterly, or annually to certify compliance with the terms agreed upon with the companies; otherwise, the concession must be suspended, as one cannot continue a business that does not obey established regulations.The final report with the results will be delivered next Monday.
