The street and road maintenance program in the province of Santiago de Cuba plans for 2024 to repair only 10% of the road infrastructure, a significant setback compared to the 18% achieved in 2023.
The official newspaper Sierra Maestra presented as an achievement the improvement of at least 10% of the roads in Santiago de Cuba, amid the “current economic limitations,” a claim that seems to ignore the seriousness of the situation in a province where a high rate of accidents is reported daily.
The news portal serving the government quoted engineer Gilberto Romero Saunder, coordinator of programs and objectives of the Provincial Government, who stated that "27,400 tons of hot asphalt and about 4,000 tons of cold asphalt will be available for the improvement of the roads."
That figure is far from the 80,000 tons of hot asphalt mix laid down during 2023 on the streets and roads of Santiago de Cuba, highlighting the deep economic crisis affecting the country.
The official tried to justify the limited rehabilitation program, citing the shortage of fuels, lubricants, and funding, arguing that it aligns with the current possibilities of the country.
Among the repaired roads, the official mentioned the Gran Piedra Road, 14 km long, under repair after years of deterioration and neglect; and the Laguna Blanca road, in the municipality of Contramaestre, which spans almost 20 km.
It also highlighted the work carried out in El Cobre and on the Country Club road to address issues such as leaks.
He pointed out that currently the work is focused in Chicharrones, a neighborhood where water supply issues are frequent and they do not find a definitive solution.
Romero presented cold asphalt as a solution for the so-called patching, "the acquisition of which is more economical under the current conditions of the country," he assured.
However, he admitted that the improvement work on streets and roads in the municipalities of Palma Soriano, San Luis, Contramaestre, and Tercer Frente is hindered by difficulties with transportation.
Recently, the poor condition of a road in Holguín caused an accident when a truck fell into a huge 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 falling into the pothole, which was also covered with water.
Recently, a resident in the province of Matanzas criticized the poor condition of the pavement on his street and compared the water-filled potholes to swimming pools.
Enelio Suárez posted a picture of his street on Facebook, full of potholes filled with water, stating: "I'm not bragging, but I live in a neighborhood where every house has pools."
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