The Caribbean Water Front Road Has a Name

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Created on Saturday, 19 October 2013 20:55

Residents of Miramar, Santa Isabel, Viento Frio and Nombre de Dios, ask for promotion of the coast. On the contrary, the road plan will do little.

10/19/2013 - The RPL-CSI Panama consortium of Panamanian and Venezuelan capital have won the bid for the construction of the millionaire road from Cuango to Santa Isabel, along the coast of the province of Colon.

The committee evaluated the proposals of each consortium interested and awarded RPL-CSI with a rating of 98 points.

With the $19.5 million offer, the consortium earned the bid to keep the contract and beat Urban Construction SA (Cusa), which bid $20.6 million and received a score of 89.31.

The consortium Costanera, consisting of the companies: Cobra, Ibervías, and Seville Construction of Spanish capital, was disqualified for failing, in the opinion of the committee, with the technical experience required.

The 26 kilometer project includes building two vehicular bridges over rivers Cuango and Culebra, which provide access to the town of Santa Isabel, and especially Punta Cocuye sector, which borders the district of Guna Yala, with its 10 plus kilometers of white sandy beaches.

The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) maintains that the project will enable the development of tourism in the sector. The first beneficiary will be the Decameron Group to invest $50 million dollars on a 320-room hotel in the area of ​​Punta Cocuye.

The Decameron Group said it will begin construction of the hotel once the ATP gives the order to proceed with the winning construction company.

Ricardo Molina, owner of Atlantic Frutería company, which develops over a thousand acres in the area between Palmira and Santa Isabel, the road will bring new life to the area.

"The road will be a magnet for new investment, and we will develop a hotel in the area", he said.

The announcement of the new access to Punta Cocuye is certain to bring people interested in acquiring land in the area.

Currently, the price per square meter, with access to the sea, is priced between $20 and $35, while in remote coastal areas reaches $10 per meter.

As has happened in other locations, it is expected that land prices will rise. In this case, says Molina, the inhabitants have waited for the road for years and will not be willing to sell their property to the first offer they receive.

Smells Like The Sea

Today, reaching the town of Santa Isabel is not easy. Residents must pay $5 to boats that depart without a set schedule, from the port of Miramar.

During the 45-minute journey, at least three beaches (Tumba, Palmira and Playa Chiquita) can be observed, which stand out for their clear waters and golden sand.

In the area between Punta Miramar and Cocuye there are reefs where you can enjoy snorkeling, fishing and onshore, ecotourism.

Frustrated by government neglect in the sector, Alexis Baragan, an artisanal fisherman, said that beyond the road, what they need is that the attractions of the area are promoted.

"Panamanians and tourists only know Colon, Isla Grande and Portobelo, but have no idea that we exist," he said.

The other option to get to Santa Isabel involves crossing the rivers Cuango and Culebra, but can only be done with a 4x4 vehicle. Overcoming these obstacles, travelers have to cross roads of stone that have enabled businesses in the area to move their merchandise.

Arriving to Santa Isabel, brings to mind images of a ghost town. Of the 284 people in town in 2010, now there are only about 100.

Juana Salazar keeps a young spirit at age 92. She says that most people have gone to live in other places in search of better opportunities.

She hoped that the road will allow the influx of companies that create places of employment for inhabitants of the upper coast (Costa Arriba). In that way it would make sense investing $19.5 million.

Land Connection

12 Months – The road construction of 26 kilometers.
3 years – Maintenance period after construction.

Source: La Prensa
Author: Alex E. Hernández / aehernandez at prensa.com
Link: http://www.prensa.com/impreso/economia/costanera-ya-tiene-nombre/216655

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