Avenida Balboa-New Coastal Beltway

Panama City’s Avenida Balboa, the main road spanning the length of downtown Panama City from east to west, is under major reconstruction known as the “Cinta Costera” or a Coastal Beltway. This massive project is taking place in order to re-route traffic by providing a bypass around the city. What is more, the project is/was supposed to offer a means for cleaning up the bay as well as provide much needed green space in the city.

Panama’s ministry of public works had promised a coastal beltway with the comfort of green areas, but after revealing the grand design from Brazilian architect Norberto Odebrecht, environmental groups such as Ciam are claiming that the plan is an environmental joke. The gardens will only cover about 23% of the space, a sadly laughable figure for “green areas.” The other percent of land will be covered in pavement, kiosks for “low intensity” commerce, picnic tables and fountains. For many, the idea of fountains in front of the water is an atrocity, as well as picnic tables next to a highway for eating.

What is more, the private club, Yates y Pesca, has been given land which was originally supposed to be part of the project. Their green area, which juts out into the ocean, appears to be solely gardens adding insult to injury.

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Filed under: News on April 26th, 2008