Cambalache Bridge

Cambalache Bridge or Puente Francés is a bridge built in 1893 which spans the Río Grande de Arecibo from Cambalache barrio to Tanamá barrio in Arecibo. It is located 100 meters west of Puerto Rico Highway 2, at kilometer 72.

Cambalache Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Puerto Rico Historic Sites and Zones
Cambalache Bridge in 2010
Nearest city	Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18°27′20″N 66°42′09″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1893 (1893)
Built by	Compañia de Ferrocariles de Puerto Rico (CFPR)
Architectural style	double intersection pratt tr
MPS	Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS
NRHP reference No.	95000831[1]
RNSZH No.	2000-(RN)-20-JP-SH
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 19, 1995
Designated RNSZH	December 21, 2000

Like all bridges of the Compañía de Ferrocarriles de Puerto Rico, the steel to build it was imported from France. The train section from San Juan to Arecibo was completed in 1891, but it was not until 1893 that the Cambalache Bridge, spanning the river, was completed. Before the opening of the Cambalache Bridge, the train ended at Cambalache and passengers and cargo had to cross a temporary wooden bridge on horse or by ox cart. The construction of the Cambalache Bridge, also called the French Bridge, was an important connection for train transport between the cities of the north coast and the estates of Arecibo.^[2]

The structure of the Cambalache bridge has not undergone significant alterations since its period of greater historical importance and has maintained a degree of integrity in its design, workmanship, materials and setting. The train route is still used for agricultural purposes.

The bridge was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1995,^[2][3] and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones on December 21, 2000.^[4]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Puerto Rico

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. Oficina Estatal de Conservación Histórica (OECH) Oficina del Gobernador [State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Office of the Governor]. Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. p. 28.
3. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cambalache Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved July 25, 2020. With accompanying pictures
4. GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (December 7, 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.