Cuba President Evaluates Road Improvement Program

Miguel Diaz-Canel, president of the Councils of State and Ministers, called for making the most of the country’s resources to improve road infrastructure, whose state is far from ideal.

The Cuban president stressed the need to make use of all the technologies available in the country for the maintenance and repair of roads, during the check of this program, according to Granma newspaper.

In this regard, it was noted that while at the end of 2018 more than 9 800 kilometers of roads of national interest received maintenance, such figures do not meet the needs of the island, hence it becomes necessary to look for ways to do different, to rescue a greater number of roads, according to the site of the Presidency.

Raul Diaz Guadarrama, director of the National Center for Roads, explained that to stop the deterioration of roads corresponds to the construction entities of the territories to carry out essential activities such as the restoration of ditches, recreation of walks and cleaning of culverts.

He stressed that at the close of last year were completed important objects of work such as the bridge over the Toa River in the Guantanamo municipality of Baracoa, and rebuilt the bridge over the Zaza River in the province of Sancti Spíritus, heavily damaged by heavy rains caused in the territory by tropical storm Alberto.

Díaz-Canel indicated that he intentionally examined all the roads that could receive some type of impact due to heavy rains associated with meteorological events, in order to guarantee the sustainability of these structures, sometimes affected by water flows much greater than the strength with which they were designed to withstand.

The Director of the National Roads Center assured that in the 2019 Plan and until 2030 the investments associated with the development of the country’s northern keys and the Mariel Special Development Zone, as well as works of tourist interest and others in the economic-social area are maintained as priority investments.

In addition, emphasis is placed on improving road signage and activities related to sealing cracks, paving, milling and repairing bridges and culverts continue, mainly on the National Highway and the Central Highway.