The Minister of Transportation of Cuba, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, reported this Wednesday on the situation of the Havana Bay Tunnel as a result ofcomplaints of dripping insideof the capital's important underground route.
In an extensive post on Facebook, the head of Transportation explained that “studies were carried out by the National Applied Research Company (ENIA) of MICONS, which concluded that "The drip cycle seen is similar to that presented at other times in previous years."
Rodríguez Dávila added that, however, it will be intervened for waterproofing, although he did not specify when. He said that it is “something that is worked on because it requires conditions, materials and specialized advice.”
He stressed that the drip observed“At the moment it does not represent a danger to the current structure and circulation of the tunnel.”
The minister also indicated that “othermaintenance actions that will be carried out soon, this time on the tube in the Havana-Cabaña direction, whose organizational details will be reported through an informative note from the Provincial Road Safety Commission of Havana through the press media.”
Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila also referred towork started at the beginning of 2023 whose fundamental objective was “the restoration of the impermeability of the vault, the repair of the fins and cisterns, as well as replacing all of the technological systems in order to increase the safety and comfort of vehicular circulation.”
The Minister of Transportation referred to other tasks carried out in the Tunnel last year: Specifically, the “maintenance of the communications system, the electrical transformers, the general disconnection panel, the generating set and the water evacuation pumps, in addition of the restoration work of the drainage grates.”
The Cuban official specified that the National Road Center participated as the main investor in the execution of these works, the General Works Contractor Company of Havana SIMAX, the National Company for Research Applied to Construction ENIA, the Project Company EPROYIV, among others. others.
In the comments section of the publication, Roberto Ricardo Marrero, vice minister of MITRANS, said he was responsible for preparing, organizing, checking and controlling - together with the National Road Center - the next repair of the tube in the Havana-Cabaña direction.
“We can inform that we have a detailed schedule with those responsible and assurances for each of the constructive actions and as significant information we inform that we have all the necessary resources for it,” he wrote.
“Good morning, beautiful story, a questionDoes it require French technology to replace the aforementioned steel plate and the following couple of potholes, which have a history as long as the tunnel itself?", questioned an Internet user, a question to which the minister himself answered.
“Logical concern. Precisely, The intervention that is planned for the next few days includes, among the actions, the solution to this breakdown and potholes at various points on the road., among other. Greetings,” responded Rodríguez Dávila.
As of the closing of this note, there is no precision regarding the date on which the next rehabilitation work on the Havana Bay Tunnel will be undertaken.
At the end of February several driversThey warned of leaks in the tunnel that make the pavement slippery.
In September, road traffic in the Tunnel was affectedfor rehabilitation works. The Provincial Road Safety Commission of Havana informed the population of the closure, but did not offer more details about the repairs. Months before, in May, the same thing happened.
The Havana Bay Tunnel was built between 1957 and 1958 by the French companySociété de Grand Travaux d Marseille, and was inaugurated on May 31, 1958. It connects Old Havana with the east of the city and allows the passage of about 32 thousand vehicles every day.
It has two reinforced concrete tubes, capable of supporting tons of water, its length reaches 733 meters and is made up of seven concrete sections coupled by steel joints. It was covered with stone and concrete to restore the original surface of the seabed and is located at a depth of between 12 and 14 meters.
Traffic is frequently affected by flooding during rainy seasons, or by repairs due to its deterioration, its proximity to the sea and its age. In April 2023, the Tunnel went dark due to maintenance work that forced the power to its lights to be cut off.
In its more than 65 years of life, it has undergone maintenance at various times, including a capital repair in 2001, carried out by the same French company that built it.
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