The street and road maintenance program in the province of Santiago de Cuba plans to repair only 10% of the road infrastructure in 2024, which marks a significant decline compared to the 18% achieved in 2023.
The official newspaper Sierra Maestra highlighted the improvement of at least 10% of the roads in Santiago de Cuba as an achievement, amidst the "current economic limitations." This claim seems to overlook the seriousness of the situation in a province where a high rate of accidents is reported daily.
The news portal, which serves as the voice of the government, quoted Engineer Gilberto Romero Saunder, coordinator of programs and objectives for the Provincial Government, who stated that there will be "27,400 tons of hot asphalt and around 4,000 tons of cold asphalt for the improvement of the roadways."
That figure is far from the 80,000 tons of hot asphalt mix laid in the streets and roads of Santiago de Cuba in 2023, highlighting the severe economic crisis affecting the country.
The official attempted to justify the limited rehabilitation program by citing a shortage of fuels, lubricants, and funding, arguing that it aligns with the current capabilities of the country.
Among the repaired roadways, the official mentioned the Gran Piedra Road, which spans 14 kilometers and is undergoing repairs after years of deterioration and neglect; and the Laguna Blanca road in the municipality of Contramaestre, which covers nearly 20 kilometers.
He also emphasized the work carried out in El Cobre and on the Country Club road to address issues such as leaks.
He noted that currently the work is focused on Chicharrones, a neighborhood where water supply issues are frequent and no lasting solution has been found.
Romero proposed cold asphalt as a solution for what is known as patching, stating that "it is more cost-effective to obtain under the current conditions in the country."
However, he admitted that the improvement of streets and roads in the municipalities of Palma Soriano, San Luis, Contramaestre, and Tercer Frente is complicated by transportation challenges.
Recently, the poor condition of a road in Holguín led to an accident when a truck fell into a large pothole that occupied half of a street in the town of Banes.
A report in the Facebook group "ACCIDENTES BUSES & CAMIONES, por más experiencia y menos víctimas" showed the overturned vehicle after it fell into a pothole, which was also covered with water.
Recently, a resident of the province of Matanzas criticized the poor condition of the pavement on his street, comparing the water-filled potholes to swimming pools.
Enelio Suárez shared a photo on Facebook of his street, which was filled with potholes full of water, expressing: “I’m not trying to brag, but I live in a neighborhood where every house has a pool.”
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