"The history of the layout of the iron roads between the plateau and Galicia was for a long time, such as it is now, one of successive delays and postponements, failure to fulfill promises and commitments made, and marginalization. The orography and the presumably low economic profitability, together with the cost derived from the first, were always arguments that played against the Galicians. 135 years ago the news was about the actions on the Os Peares iron bridge , a fundamental piece to save the river and connect Monforte and Ourense .
On January 12, 1888 — 135 years have passed — La Voz de Galicia echoed what was published in the city about this project on which all eyes and hopes for progress were focused. «Says El Eco de Ourense : Within a few days the wood that was used for the scaffolding of the Peares bridge will be dismantled. The metal section is completely finished, only the wooden floor remains to be placed, which cannot be done until, taking advantage of a few days of good weather, the iron can be painted; Once this is done, placing the planks that will form the floor is a very quick task.
This is what La Voz de Galicia told it 135 years ago
The progress of the work was monitored a week later. It was commented then - the news appeared on January 19 - that a commission of engineers from Ourense had verified "the operation of separating the scaffolding that had been used to place the iron bridge that is under construction at that point on the Sil». Once again El Eco de Ourense appeared as a source and the operation was described as a success. "The most flattering hopes had been exceeded, because despite the metal section being more than 60 meters long, it did not descend to the center by more than a centimeter, according to the most detailed observations." The interest aroused by the project, ultimately the objective was to connect the coast with Madrid, is demonstrated by the fact that several media outlets in the province of Pontevedra and Lugo — Crónica de Pontevedra, El Eco de Galicia and El Lucense — also reproduced the news published by the Ourense newspaper.
Months later, on September 23 of that distant 1888, La Voz de Galicia recorded how the process was developing. The last tests carried out had been more than satisfactory: «Four cylinders of the road and two large ox carts full of stone, drawn by 21 pairs of oxen, passed happily, without the enormous weight of 40 tons causing the bridge to lower. more than half a centimeter, nor were lateral movements of importance. The test had generated expectation, with people coming from the city and residents of the towns on the river banks concentrating in the vicinity, the great beneficiaries of the new work. The joy of everyone present at the result was evident. With some exception, since La Voz de Galicia closed its information with a note: "Only the boatmen are dissatisfied: their industry receives a rude blow."
In this way, a project that had already generated interest for some time was facing its final stretch. In fact, in November 1887 the arrival of "several pilots in iron bridge work" was announced to begin construction.
El paso sobre el Sil is one of the prominent enclaves of the line between Monforte and Ourense. In the notebook dedicated to this branch, edited in 2010 by Carrileiros Foula, there is a detailed review of the project and its vicissitudes in a work carried out by Paco Boluda and Manuel Hernández. Del de Os Peares is said to be part of the Eiffel school and that it is «one of the most notables of the line». Boluda remembers that he was the object of bullying. «Later on, an important renovation was carried out to improve the safety of the structure, in fact at first it was a normal step and soon it becomes seen as if it had a couple of heights, the composition becomes much more complex», he says.
As predicted when the tests were carried out, the biggest losers were the boatmen as their services to cross the river were no longer in demand. The profession was mortally wounded. And even disputes were generated to liquidate the business. Thus, in November, it was reported that a boat had been destroyed with an ax by its owners, as they did not agree on the distribution of the money from the sale.
12-1-1888
The creation of the Os Peares iron bridge was vital to save the river and speed up communication with the plateau. The curiosity was great."
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