Major repaving underway in Puerto Rico’s metro area
The municipalities of San Juan and Carolina, Puerto Rico, are moving ahead with plans to improve their roadway infrastructure with a combined investment of more than $3.5 million. In Carolina, Mayor José Carlos Aponte said the city will spend $2.8 million, while the mayor of the island’s capital, Miguel Romero, said that $747,405 has been set aside for the continuation of work that began last year.
As part of Aponte’s plan to transform Carolina, the municipality has begun repaving the Villa Fontana urbanization. The mayor announced that the repavement of every street will be performed in a staggered manner and in coordination with the community.
The project, which involves the application of a new asphalt layer to the 85 municipal streets that make up the community, began on streets 32 through 38, as well as Georgina Street.
Work crews will be operating on site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work includes the removal of asphalt from deteriorated sections and the repaving of every street, along with the work needed for traffic and runoff management.
“We know how important it is to improve road conditions in our communities,” Aponte said. “We started … by repaving the entire Villa Carolina urbanization and its six sections: Campo Rico Avenue, the community of Severo Quiñónez, Villa Cooperativa and La Haciendita road in Canovanillas. As a municipality, we have invested more than $20 million in the reconstruction of the road infrastructure of the communities, and now we reach Villa Fontana to put their streets in optimal conditions and thus improve their quality of life.”
To carry out the work successfully, the municipality has requested citizens’ cooperation to clear all streets of any object or vehicle that may interrupt the resurfacing work.
“It is important that the neighbors are empowered by this project and help us achieve the success of this infrastructure work that will benefit them directly,” the mayor added. “To the extent that we all put our efforts into it, promptness and the highest quality will be the result of the joint effort. We are very excited to be able to do this work in Villa Fontana, which we know will benefit more than 2,984 housing units and more than 7,347 people who reside there.”
The municipality of San Juan has set aside $353,105 to restore some of its own streets. The capital city’s administration has started asphalt and repaving works at the Tras Talleres community in Santurce as part of a program called “Tus Calles al Día,” which translates roughly to “Your Updated Streets.”
This investment will impact 16 streets, directly benefiting about 875 homes and 1,453 people, in addition to stores, recreational areas, entertainment venues and restaurants, as well as surrounding sectors, which include culinary pockets such as Cerra Street.
“The ‘Tus Calles al Día’ program is the largest municipal repaving initiative in the history of the capital city, which has a positive impact on the quality of life, safety and economy of our communities, their residents and visitors,” Romero said. “As planned, this week we will rebuild the streets of Tras Talleres, cradle of artists and an attraction known for its history and culture, works that will extend for a period of three weeks.”
The works will begin on Flores, Aguacate, Carlos de Jesús, Verdejo, Robles, Comercio, Las Flores, San Juan, Los Valencia, Andy Montañez, Los Montañez, Cerra Andino, Sola, La Rosa, and Callejón Aguacate streets. People are urged to be alert to route changes during the works and to take the necessary safety measures.
According to projections, the works will improve traffic and access to 353 structures in the community, 350 of which are homes.
The resurfacing plan includes the area where Residencial Los Lirios is located, which houses about 480 people in 192 apartments. Likewise, the Los Lirios Condominium, where about 98 people reside in 39 apartments, is also part of the repaving plan.
Condado works
Meanwhile, the municipality of San Juan began work to repair the battered Joffre Street in the Condado neighborhood of Santurce, at a cost of $394,300. This special project will replace flexible pavement with rigid pavement. The works will also benefit part of Marseilles Street and another part of Clemenceau Street.
The works will be carried out from 10 a.m. and will extend for the next 60 days. During the works, sidewalks will be available for pedestrian access.
In the areas of Joffre, Marseilles and Clemenceau streets that are not impacted by the works, local traffic and heavy vehicles will be allowed in both directions. Laguna Terrace residents are advised to use the gate located on the north side for entry and exit.
To date, the San Juan municipal administration has invested about $45.2 million to repair streets, avenues and roads, depositing 33,481,868 tons of asphalt under the “Tus Calles al Día” program.
Romero said that repairing the streets “is an essential part of economic development, to attract investment to San Juan, and improve the quality of life of San Juan residents.”
