Four years removed from one of the worst natural disasters in Mexico’s history, one small city in the state of Morelos is ready to bridge the chasm between past tragedy and future optimism thanks to the efforts of one New York firm. 

OMA has announced that it will be developing a new pedestrian bridge for the city of Jojutla to coincide with the anniversary of the devastating 2017 earthquake that left much of the city in shambles, and many of its residents to question the viability of the community long term. 

The project is the latest addition to OMA’s ongoing public space and resiliency push that includes a comprehensive post-Hurricane Sandy water use strategy for Hoboken, New Jersey, and the 11th Street Bridge Park development in Washington, DC. 

The new bridge represents OMA New York’s contribution to the region’s ambitious recovery effort. Jojutla has become a test case for innovation and architectural experimentation thanks to a $10 million infrastructure initiative authored by a workers housing fund called Infonavit. 

Situated along the Apatlaco River, the bridge actually forms two spans connecting three neighborhoods in a neglected area that has become the receptor of violence spilling over from the neighboring state of Guerrero. A double-decked concrete structure accounts for potential water level rises and flexible public spaces that can be used either for habitation or commercial use by inhabitants of the Jaurez, Pacheco Valley, and Panchimalco areas. 

“We are beginning to face natural disasters more frequently and the wide-ranging impacts demand more public spaces and resources to be integrated into resiliency design,” OMA design partner Shohei Shigematsu said. “In the wake of Mexico’s recurring earthquakes, the Jojutla Bridge aims to restore infrastructure as well as the spirit of community. Its two datums simultaneously reconnect not two but three fractured neighborhoods, anticipate disasters beyond earthquakes by mitigating potential flooding, and provide new amenities to revitalize people’s relationship to a river that’s currently feared or overlooked.”