Hello friends of Architecture+Design!
I am going to tell you about a civil engineering work in the City of Havana that dates back to the beginning of the last century: The Tallapiedras viaduct. This railway crossing is better known by Cubans as "Los Elevados" and is an emblematic structure that has played a crucial role in the city's transport infrastructure.
Hola amigos de Arquitectura+Diseño!
Les voy a hablar de una obra de ingeniería civil en la Ciudad de La Habana que data de inicios del siglo pasado: El viaducto de Tallapiedras. Este paso de ferrocarril es más conocido por los cubanos como "Los Elevados" y es una estructura emblemática que ha jugado un papel crucial en la infraestructura de transporte de la ciudad.
Located next to Avenida del Puerto and extending to La Coubre, it passes close to the old Tallapiedras thermoelectric power station. Today, only its structure remains in a calamitous state and no longer works, but for years it was one of the main sources of electricity in the city. It would be good to rescue this jewel that began to generate electricity at the end of the 18th century, housing a lot of history.
Ubicado junto a la Avenida del Puerto y extendiéndose hasta La Coubre, pasa cerca de la antigua central termoeléctrica de Tallapiedras. Actualmente, solo queda su estructura en estado calamitoso y ya no funciona, pero durante años fue una de las principales fuentes de electricidad en la ciudad. Sería bueno rescatar esta joya que comenzó a generar electricidad a finales del siglo XVIII, albergando mucha historia.
The viaduct was built in the early 20th century, during a period of expansion and modernization of the Cuban railway system. It was designed to improve the efficiency of freight and passenger transportation, avoiding level crossings that affected traffic flow and increased the risk of accidents. Its strategic location allowed it to connect important points in the city, facilitating the movement of goods from the port to the interior of the city.
El viaducto fue construido a principios del siglo XX, en un período de expansión y modernización del sistema ferroviario cubano. Fue diseñado para mejorar la eficiencia del transporte de mercancías y pasajeros, evitando los cruces a nivel que afectaban el flujo del tráfico y aumentaban el riesgo de accidentes. Su ubicación estratégica permitió conectar importantes puntos de la ciudad, facilitando el movimiento de bienes desde el puerto hasta el interior de la ciudad.
The viaduct was built in the early 20th century, during a period of expansion and modernization of the Cuban railway system. It was designed to improve the efficiency of freight and passenger transportation, avoiding level crossings that affected traffic flow and increased the risk of accidents. Its strategic location allowed it to connect important points in the city, facilitating the movement of goods from the port to the interior of the city.
All of this fear was unjustified, as I found out when I did my research on the subject. Despite the existence of other, more durable materials, wood is widely used for its ability to absorb vibrations and ensure a smooth ride for the train, although it requires more maintenance and constant observation. I was able to observe that the sleepers on this particular viaduct were not uniform; they have different sizes and dimensions, suggesting that they have been subjected to changes and individually placed by maintenance works. This variability in the sleepers adds a historical character, highlighting the combination of organic and metallic elements.
En la estructura de "Los Elevados" se aprecia la utilización de acero y hormigón. Una característica que más me llama la atención de esta estructura son los durmientes de madera, que se encuentran sobre una estructura metálica. Pasaba por debajo de esta estructura metálica dos veces al día, pues era mi camino diario años atrás para ir hacia mi trabajo. Reconozco que cada vez que lo hacía, miraba hacia arriba y me preocupaba mucho notar que sus rieles eran sostenidos por madera, a pesar de que se observaban fuertes y gruesos troncos.
Todo ese temor era injustificado, lo pude comprobar cuando investigué sobre el tema. A pesar de existir otros materiales más duraderos, la madera es muy utilizada por su capacidad de absorber vibraciones y garantizar un suave desplazamiento al tren, aunque requiere más mantenimiento y una observación constante. Pude observar que los durmientes de este viaducto, en particular, no eran uniformes; presentan diferentes tamaños y dimensiones, lo que sugiere que han sido sometidos a cambios y colocados individualmente por obras de mantenimiento. Esta variabilidad en los durmientes añade un carácter histórico, destacando la combinación de elementos orgánicos y metálicos.
Steel columns and beams support the weight of the trains, while the elevated structure allows for free passage of vehicles and pedestrians underneath, and even other trains. This design approach has allowed it to remain in use for decades, adapting to the changing needs of the city. Its presence in the urban landscape speaks to Cuba's rich railway history and the efforts to integrate different modes of transport into the city's infrastructure.
Las columnas y vigas de acero soportan el peso de los trenes, mientras que la estructura elevada permite el paso libre de vehículos y peatones por debajo, e incluso de otros trenes. Este enfoque de diseño ha permitido que se mantenga en uso durante décadas, adaptándose a las necesidades cambiantes de la ciudad. Su presencia en el paisaje urbano nos habla de la rica historia ferroviaria de Cuba y de los esfuerzos por integrar diferentes modos de transporte en la infraestructura de la ciudad.
This viaduct is used by trains to reach the central station, an imposing building that is currently being repaired. Therefore, the La Coubre terminal is used as an alternative until the station is fully restored. A large number of people continue to travel via this viaduct from the rest of the country's provinces to Havana and vice versa.
Por este viaducto se desplazan los trenes hasta la estación central, una imponente edificación que en estos momentos está siendo reparada. Por tanto, se utiliza la terminal de La Coubre como alternativa hasta que la estación sea totalmente restaurada. A través de este viaducto, se sigue desplazando una gran cantidad de personas desde el resto de las provincias del país hacia La Habana y viceversa.
This large metal structure in Havana is not just a transport structure; it is a historical and architectural landmark that reflects the evolution of the city. Its history, architecture and importance make it an essential element of the Havana cityscape, contributing to both mobility and the cultural heritage of the Cuban capital.
Esta gran estructura metálica de La Habana no es solo una estructura de transporte; es un hito histórico y arquitectónico que refleja la evolución de la ciudad. Su historia, arquitectura e importancia lo convierten en un elemento esencial del paisaje urbano habanero, contribuyendo tanto a la movilidad como al patrimonio cultural de la capital cubana.
Las fotos fueron tomadas con mi teléfono Xiaomi Note 11, unidas y recreadas en canva.
Usar Traductor DeepL
The photos were taken with my Xiaomi Note 11 phone, joined and recreated in canva.
Use Translator DeepL
To make inquiries I used the following source
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people( @lileisabel ) sharing the post on Reddit as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com. Otherwise, rewards go to the author of the blog post.
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Thanks You ❤️
Hey @lileisabel you are welcome.
Thanks for using @worldmappin 😘
You know @lileisabel I also know that place and although those railroad overhead lines look deteriorated today, at one time they were well cared for and attracted the attention of those who passed by. What I did not remember was that thermoelectric plant. The place has its charm too. Greetings and happy weekend.🤗🥰
Hello @mamani, I'm very happy because you always leave me a comment on my posts and I appreciate it ☺️ That thermoelectric plant is the oldest in Havana, within the same city, my mother-in-law lived very close and it made terrible noises, in addition to the environmental pollution, I think it would be good to enable it as a museum because it has its history anyway, although for me, it was a big mistake to put it in the middle of the city.
Todavía añoro degustar tus bombones @lileisabel, somos amigas no? Aunque tenemos que conocernos personalmente. Y además de Hivecuba y eres amiga de @nanixxx mi hija. Son muchas cosas que nos unen.Un beso.🥰
Pues claro que si @mamani,vería muy bueno! Tienes una hija muy talentosa, solo debes avisarme cuando vengas a la Habana, claro que debes probar mis bombones y debemos conocernos y darnos un paseo por la Habana
It is a great work of engineering and I imagine it is very important for transportation. I would also feel your fear to see the wood, but imagine, how strong it can be true. Besides, its structure looks strong. The design is very attractive.
Thank you friend, it is strong, but I always had doubts, but after investigating I knew that there were no problems, it is a great engineering work, which connects the port with the city and this in turn with the rest of the provinces of the country
Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2387.
Your post has been manually curated by the @worldmappin team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!
Become part of our travel community:
Thanks You 👍🏽❤️
You are very welcome @lileisabel! it was well deserved. ☀️
Keep up the great work 💪
There is no train line like this in my city yet. Hopefully in the future there will be something like this @lileisabel
That viaduct is very important in my city, although it has been around for many years, more than 100, it really needs maintenance.
Hello friend, the structure looks very good despite the years, in its moment of splendor it must have been very busy, I hope they can enable it in the near future. In the city where I live there are several elevated ones, at first I was afraid to go through because I thought it could fall off, after investigating and knowing how safe they are, they are a very calm passage.
Greetings!