After one of the strongest earthquake on record, the Chilean infrastructure held up quite well, but the cost of repairing damage will total $ 1,200 million, said on Monday the Minister of Public Works in Chile, Sergio Bitar .
On the morning of 27 February, an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude hit the central-southern Chile, leaving hundreds homeless and killed nearly two million people. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept away whole villages of coastal regions of Maule and Bío Bío.
“The infrastructure of the country stood up well. Of the 4,000 bridges in the affected areas, 20 will need repairs and 20 must be restored,” said Bitar.
The minister added that the 1,700 km of highways that exist in regions quake struck 70 kilometers should be rebuilt.
The Public Works Ministry has identified about 1,200 items that need repair infrastructure and 95% of these repairs are in process when he takes office the new administration, he said.
The four-year term of President Michelle Bachelet ends Thursday at noon, when Sebastian Pinera, a conservative first democratically elected president in 52 years, assumed the presidency.
Bitar said the remaining 5% needed repairs, mainly bridges, require heavy and medium construction.
The $ 1,200 million will cover the cost of repairs to roads, airports, dams, canals, utility companies and other public works including road concessions. Some of the repairs would take three or four years, said Bitar.
That figure, said the ministry does not include repairs to government buildings or commercial ports, some of which were devastated by the tsunami.
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