Troubled bridge over water: Chile's first drawbridge built upside down

The first drawbridge to ever be built in Chile has become an international joke after the grand opening of the $30 million project had to be pushed back due to at least one of the bridge’s traffic decks being installed incorrectly.

The bridge was built over the Cau Cau River to connect Valdivia with Teja Island. The mix-up has made the bridge a laughingstock on social media.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera doesn’t find it so funny. "It can be fixed, and it will be fixed by the company that made the mistake," Pinera said.

"The only responsible party is the builder. We are going to make them answer for this," said Public Works Minister Loreto Silva.

Spanish construction company Azvi was alerted to the error. The auto platforms were reportedly installed upside down, though they were possibly backwards.

Azvi released a statement saying the bridge would be fixed "without major work."

"The controversy about the bridge being built upside down is meaningless, as both sides are symmetrical," the company stated. Azvi added that the bridge is "currently running" and "has no structural problems."

[Daily Mail] [Emol]