The collapse of a bridge in Soria forces Rodeos of 45 minutes: « It is as if the other side was another continent » | Spain

Sitting for a while on the ashlars of the medieval bridge allows to verify the effects of Isolation of San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria, 2,935 inhabitants) Since a collapse caused by the rains forced the crossing on the Duero, a month ago. A drip of people, in a row of one, parades next to the protection fences that engineers and workers guard. The best alternative to the now closed step implies driving 45 minutes along an infernal road or walking on large distances. Better adapt, or try: a man has tied the huerta hoe to the picture of his bike, an old man with cane has to rest during his walk towards the center, a woman pushes a overflowing shopping cart, another takes her dog with an amputated leg to the veterinarian. Many families have left a car on each side of the bridge to move without eternal deviations. The disorder affects thousands of people, not only in San Esteban: there are dozens of villages sentenced to give surroundings to go to work, to the hospital or take children to school. The locals ask for a new bridge, but the Ministry of Transport insists on repairing the old man.

From the partial collapse of the bridge, The Duero is again borderlike when Almanzor. In San Esteban de Gormaz there is talk of the Berlin wall, the Melilla fence or, as a Soriano sentence, « it is as if the other side of the bridge was another continent. » Victoriano Miranda, 67, has an appointment with the callista and walks two kilometers to the consultation. « They blame the flood, but I have seen them much older; the fault is of the heavy transport that has burst it, » he accuses, because the N-1110 national that connects with Segovia and Madrid, with trucks and pachidermal tractors, usual, common on the 16 eyes of the medieval bridge, which partially collapsed on March 11. Since then it remains closed, with debris and even a lamppost fallen in full channel of the Duero. The thick flow of those dates forced to delay several days the beginning of the actions, which the neighbors defend that they were necessary for a long time. « Then they fill their mouths with The emptied Spain”, Rumia Miranda, after teaching October photos that show the bridge cracks. Luis Benito, 75, smiles by admiring the ingenuity he has had to tie the apero to his bicycle:“ We have to go many times, loaded as mules, with the fertilizer or the tools. It is a whore, speaking badly. ”Speaking better, he remembers that decades ago a modern infrastructure was requested that ended up forgetting and that the small performances little contributed. » Gotera that is not fixed, whole house, « he laments.

The abandonment is exemplified when a worker dissuades the nth car to try to cross as if nothing: there will not have been talk of it despite the road signs or complaints from Soria Next to the works, in the southern zone, 80 vehicles occupy an esplanade today parking and bullring during the holidays. A woman, black, runs and farfore who arrives late at a funeral and who has already crossed back and forth to take the children to school. Silence, that Alejandro has arrived at the bridge. The priest, a hat in style, acts as a spokesman: he manages the faith of 30 villages and has also bet a car on each side of the bridge. « We are left of the hand of God, » he laments. « My soul falls to my feet (al) Seeing the elderly isolated, it is a martyrdom, » acknowledges the priest, who ironizes: « We have not had a response from the minister (of Transportation, Óscar) bridge for the bridge. »

The mayor of San Esteban, Daniel García (PP), claims “a provisional bridge” and a subsequent diversion, new, to get the heavy traffic from the town. Their disagreements with transport were not progress: first it was considered that the army pontoneros raised a temporary step, but the ministry advocates to fix the medieval route. The Government Subdelegate in Soria, Miguel Latorre, has announced that the work will be completed in two months and that a new construction would take much more. Thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday, March 30 to claim « a bridge of the 21st century. » Mariángeles Maeso, 60, censures the « politicization » and is fixed in the colors: « As the mayor is from the PP and the PSOE government, they send us to take for ass. » The mayor denounces that the cut to traffic affects, in addition to human issues, companies due to the extra costs of the extra kilometers or in the logistics. Also in frugal clientele attracted by posters such as « Best Torrezno in the world of 2023 » in a bar adjacent to the Duero, whose owner repeats Mantra: « Then they fill their mouth talking about emptied Spain. We are in Soria, if it were Barcelona, ​​another rooster would sing. ”

Forced rodeo reflects that in this Spain Google Maps does not always succeed. The route marks 35 minutes from the center of San Esteban to the other side of the bridge, three minutes normally. The GPS leads to the A-11 highway, another historic yearning to flee from the lousy N-122, even majority in Soria. At 20 minutes, I turn to Langa de Duero, to another old bridge where only one vehicle fits. Touch to wait: a flock travels on this livestock route for patience of cars or trucks. Then, continue on a road where to be driving when another vehicle comes or almost hiding if a convoy appears, stop because it crosses a tractor with its apero, breathe if a cautious old man drives in front. The overflow of the Duero aggravated the problem for several days because it also cut this narrow, sinuous, bumpy, cracked and patching diversion, now undergoing excessive use. Finally, the south side, 45 minutes later. Approaching the tiny Atauta (20 inhabitants) reflects the boredom. Alfredo Palomar, 63, summarizes: « Spanish Spain … we are managed. » Domitila Rubio, 88, suffers because every morning her daughter, nurse, crosses the happy bridge and has already ended up soaked by the rain. Nor does he want to think too much about herself. That is the responsibility of the Víctor García, 61, who sighs for these crazy weeks, and those that remain, every day spinning for a town. « To consult, well, but when something serious happens we will see what they will do, » he fears, even more so in Holy Week, with more care demand. An ambulance cannot afford to wait behind herds, tractors or trucks if you have to attend a heart attack south of San Esteban de Gormaz.