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The Línea tunnel in Havana will be partially closed to traffic from November 19 to the 23, as it continues to undergo "historic maintenance", according to official sources.
The Provincial Road Safety Commission of Havana announced that the Plaza-Playa lane of the tunnel was closed this Wednesday, starting at 9:00 a.m., to carry out maintenance, painting, and patching work, and it will not reopen until the 23rd at 10:00 p.m.
The Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, announced the measure on social media, where he also revealed the reinstatement of the Playa-Plaza direction of the tunnel, starting at 10 PM on Tuesday, following the completion of the work that has been taking place in that lane since November 13.
Starting today, during the closure of the Plaza-Playa path, drivers will be able to use alternative routes including 23rd Street, 41st Avenue, 5th Avenue, and the Malecón.
The Provincial Transport Company of Havana announced that bus routes 8, P1, P5, A20, 37, and 34 will alter their routes on the return trip.
According to the published scheme, routes 8, P1, and P5 that travel along Línea must turn around at the tunnel's entrance, head towards 24th Street, continue up to 23rd Street, proceed towards the Almendares Bridge, then head down Lázaro Cárdenas Avenue (where the Cira García clinic is located), and from there, resume their usual routes.
Meanwhile, routes A20 and 37 continue to loop at the tunnel entrance and will have their first stop on the return at Línea and 18. For its part, route 34 will not go to Línea; it will continue along Zapata to merge into 23, then to the Almendares Bridge, and will follow a similar route to routes 8, P1, and P5.
The authorities alerted about the ban on heavy vehicle circulation over the iron bridge.
The Provincial Road Safety Commission urged users to "comply with the established regulations" and "stay attentive to the directions of law enforcement agents, in order to prevent traffic accidents."
The minister Rodríguez Dávila described the maintenance of the Línea tunnel, which began a week ago, as "historic," considering it the start of "a new stage in the life of this work of Cuban civil engineering."
He stated that it is a "comprehensive maintenance program to preserve its legacy," with actions carried out under the direction of the National Roadway Center (CNV) and the supervision of geodesic engineer Gisel Pupo Almaguer, a territorial specialist in Policies (tunnel specialist) at that institution.
Rodríguez Dávila pointed out that the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise Emconat undertook key tasks, such as repairing the room that houses the generators, restoring and painting the walls and curbs both inside and outside the tunnel, thoroughly cleaning the drainage system and ditches, and implementing horizontal traffic engineering signage.
He added that the EcoSol division of the company Copextel is responsible for modernizing the lighting system, which will include the installation of a double circuit incorporating 50 lights of 50 watts, "an improvement that promises greater safety and efficiency." Meanwhile, the Road Maintenance Company of Havana has carried out paving work.
According to the minister, the current maintenance of the tunnel is "a greater effort that goes beyond immediate restoration" and, in addition to ensuring transit, aims to "protect the legacy of a flagship work of the nation."
In a triumphant tone, the authority asserted that the important thoroughfare "is renewed with the promise of a future that values its history and ensures its permanence in terms of mobility in Havana."
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