Bajo Maiz, Panama

The Bajo Maiz Community Bridge Project is a 4-week bridge construction project, taking place in Panama and beginning on June 3rd and ending on July 2nd, 2017. The Engineers in Action chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign sent eight members to build a footbridge to provide a safe way to cross the river shown below.

The community of Bajo Maiz is located outside San Felix in the Mirono district. Bajo Maiz is a small village, only containing 20-30 houses. However, the communities near Bajo Maiz, including Hato July, Hato Picun and Calabazac, will also use the footbridge.

The total number of people that will be able to use the bridge is 745. This includes families that live in nearby communities.  Approximately 30-35 children will be able to cross the river safely after the bridge is built. This river is difficult to cross during the months of July through November. As a result, several deaths have occurred, caused by the dangerous river.