El puente Maximiliano del ferrocarril mexicano.: Diseños preliminares para el puente de Metlac

Abstract

The design and construction of the Metlac Bridge on the Mexican Railway route (built between 1837 and 1873) was a challenge for the engineers involved, since it was necessary to cross a ravine with a latitude of 275 m and 115 m of depth in a straight line in the midst of rugged tropical terrain. The search for possible solutions to the problem led to an extensive professional discussion on the best structural design and type of construction. Mexican and French engineers, as well as those from the United States and Great Britain were involved. The presentation of feasible structures began at the time of the French intervention (1862–1863), continued during Maximilian’s empire (1864–1867), and finally ended after the Restored Republic, established by Benito Juarez who died shortly before the inauguration of the Metlac Bridge as the last missing link on the Mexican Railway. Starting from the initial design first made in 1866 this essay presents and discusses the many ideas and proposals of the engineers involved in the project, all of them observed with curiosity by international experts.