Works in the Bay Tunnel could require new repair and maintenance actions

Repair work on the Bay Tunnel In Havana, problems have emerged that were not identified and that will require new actions by the work brigades in charge of repairing this important artery of the capital.

This is how he explained it in ainterview the colonelRoberto Rodríguez Fernández, head of the Specialized Transit Department of theNational Revolutionary Police (PNR), indicating however that this is “normal” in this type of interventions, and that the new actions would not affect the schedule planned for the completion of the works.

“Those responsible for the maintenance actions confirmed last night that the resources to work and undertake the actions -even new actions that appear as maintenance is carried out, [and that] may require other types of repair activities or arrangements - they are also being executed and are planned to be executed,” said Rodríguez Fernández.

In that sense, he insisted that "the work is being completed in accordance with the schedule planned by the specialists from the different institutions that are dedicated to carrying out the maintenance actions" and mentioned the visit of the Ministry of Transportation,Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, to the works.

Likewise, he referred to Rodríguez Dávila's call to "accelerate work actions as much as possible, without affecting quality, so that schedules are met and, if possible, even reduce work periods," in in order to avoid inconvenience to the population.

The Havana Road Company and the Transportation Construction Company are responsible for the repair and maintenance work, whichThey are scheduled to conclude in approximately one week.

“Three days will be dedicated to demolition, formwork and concreting, and subsequently seven days will be waited for the first phase of concrete setting, until the tunnel is reopened,” explained last Saturday the general director of the National Road Center,Sandra Loureiro Rodríguez.

The directive explained that, once the tunnel is ready to open, “the protection plate will be placed again on a grid [on which work is being done], with the aim of protecting it until May 5, when the final setting of the tunnel is reached.” the tunnel entrance.”

For his part, in this Monday's appearance on theCuban Television, Colonel Rodríguez Fernández did not specify what “new actions” will be necessary after the first interventions in the tunnel.

However, he announced that in the first quarter of the current year “The country closed with a decrease in the three accident rate indicators”.

“Accidents were reduced by 20%, deaths by 56% and injuries by 12%. It is undoubtedly good news, although it does not mean that we are satisfied with the results,” said the head of the Specialized Traffic Department of the PNR.

The repairs in the Bay Tunnel happen after the Minister of Transportation himself reported on the situation of this road that connects Old Havana with the east of the city, and allows the passage of about 32 thousand vehicles every day.

Rodríguez Dávila said 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.

He added that, however, it will be intervened for waterproofing, although it is not included in the maintenance announced now because it requires conditions, materials and specialized advice. He also stressed that the observed dripping “does not currently represent a danger to the current structure and circulation of the tunnel.”

In its more than 65 years of life, the tunnel has undergone maintenance at various times, including a capital repair in 2001, carried out by the same French company that built it.