Concepción Main Street Opened 21 Months After 27/F Earthquake

By Rod "Alley'Gator" Hunrichse, 20111229

O'Higgins Avenue Opening By Emilio Rubio Torres

On Tuesday 27, Public Works Minister Golborne announced that, after 21 months of preventive closing, main street Avenida O'Higgins will be reopened in Concepcion. Also said once authorized, the deconstruction was done in record time.

Because the Torre O'Higgins building was condemned after 27/F, its surroundings including O'Higgins street were closed, troubling the private and public transportation in that busy street (with an estimated flow of 500 vehicules per hour).

Damaged Torre O'Higgins by Gerson Guzmán

Court procedures delayed the demolition, no more than two lanes were partially opened, detours were made, and traffic jams occured on a four lanes, one way, downtown street.

Deconstruction of Torre O'higgins by Salvador Schwartzmann

Since demolition and deconstruction works concluded, the avenue was opened Tursday, December 29, as a gift for drivers.
The building was reduced down to the 9° level. There are still several other buldings to be deconstructed or demolished.