Toni Rüttimann

Who is Toni Rüttimann?

Toni Rüttimann, also known in Latin America as "Toni El Suizo", is a Swiss bridge builder, working in Southeast Asia and in Latin America, where he is known as Toni el Suizo.

Toni Rüttimann builds suspension bridges with communities in need and with recycled materials, and this independently, free and unpaid.

Companies contribute their used material and local governments concede permits and help with transportation – respecting the fact that the main effort is made by the population, with no one asking anything in return, with the bridge belonging to the population who has built it.

The bridges are for use of pedestrians, pack animals, motorcycles, two-wheel-tractors - but not for cars. In every country where Toni Rüttimann stays for some years, he builds up a small team of national welders and looks for one “bridgebuilder companion” whom he teaches his own work, and who later is able to perform maintenance.

Toni Rüttimann has no residence: he carries everything he needs in two bags. One for his personal things, the other for his laptop computer and a few tools of his trade.

Together with the population he has built 648 bridges which serve 1.9 million people.