The authorities did not report a date for the reopening of the section that goes from B to C street.
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodriguez, Havana, 29 September 2024 — With several barriers to divert traffic, a section of Havana’s iconic Malecón has been closed since Saturday. According to a post on social media from the capital’s government, the sea intrusion caused by Hurricane Helene “caused structural damage to the road,” leaving the section from B to C street in need to repairs.
The area that poses a “danger to vehicle traffic” and where “total closure measures” have been applied is located in El Vedado, in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución. The authorities did not offer a date for the reopening of the section and declared that it will be closed “until the work is completed.”
This morning, according to 14ymedio, several traffic police were guarding the forbidden area, but no significant damage was visible to the Malecón structure. Aside from a crack in the sidewalk that borders it, the wall seemed to be in the same state as always, eaten away by the sea and salt.
Located opposite the luxurious Grand Aston hotel, the closed section belongs to one of the most tourist-centric areas of the capital, where old and refurbished Chevrolets drive around. The area is, curiously, one of those that suffers the most flooding and sea intrusion every time there is a storm.
Nearby is the Girón building, a grey mass built in 1967 whose stairs are now a real danger for residents. The cement slabs intended to prevent people from falling have gradually come loose and the residents themselves have replaced them with pieces of railings or sheets of zinc.
In recent decades, the Malecón has undergone several repairs. One of a major nature was carried out at the beginning of the century by the government with the help of Spain, in which 14 blocks of the seafront were restored and the project even received an award at the 2nd Havana Architecture Biennial in 1999. Later, other works were carried out in 2016, 2020 and 2021, but humidity and the sea cause the area to deteriorate rapidly without the authorities being able to keep up with the maintenance.
The passage of Hurricane Helene also caused the closure of the road that goes from La Cabaña to the city, through the tunnel under Havana Bay. According to Minister of Transport Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, the rains flooded the road and the drainage system, due to a blockage, was not working.
Earlier this year, the tunnel remained closed for several days after authorities announced that maintenance work would be carried out. However, the repairs did not last long and Rodríguez Dávila soon explained that they had finished 48 hours earlier. During a tour of the road, 14ymedio confirmed that the promised repairs had been nothing more than a little cement and paint on the most damaged sections of one side of the tunnel.
The minister then explained that work would soon begin on the opposite lane, but just five months later, drivers in the capital have to detour again due to problems on the road.
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