The bridge’s concrete structure takes shape in Phase Two

It’s amazing what skilled workers can accomplish by hand.

Unloading gravel, steel rods, and concrete mix. Building a wooden structure to hold the concrete while it dries. Bending steel into a reinforcing grid to give the bridge strength. Mixing the concrete with shovels and pouring it from buckets.

When we last left the bridge to Afiri, it was a concrete slab that is both foundation and a new channel for the river.

This post shows construction of the top of the bridge, beginning with the wooden box to hold rebar and concrete, and continuing through completion of the bridge’s concrete core.

Unlike the base of the bridge, the rebar for the top was assembled on the wooden frame.

The wooden frame for the concrete center of the bridge as the rebar is assembled on top of it.

Workers tie the final rebar grid together before concrete is poured.

Planks for workers to use to pour concrete into the wooden frame are nailed down.

Foundation president Tom Martorelli makes the ceremonial first concrete pour.

Team KKO workers were joined by neighboring villagers to pour the concrete, bucket by bucket.

All concrete for the top of the bridge was poured in a single day. This photo shows it nearly completed.

The completed concrete center of the bridge. It will remain in the wooden frame for 4 weeks to dry.

Tom Martorelli and Lucien Obama next to the completed concrete center of the bridge.