Coastal strip will not meet the latest deadline

PANAMA. The $189 million Coastal Strip which was scheduled to be opened on June 20 will not be finished on time, says the Minister of Public Works, Benjamin Colamarco.

This is a terrible blow for the Martin Torrijos’ administration, that was planning to inaugurate the mega-project before the end of his government on June 30.

Colamarco said that when the Strip is going to open is irrelevant, because at the end of the day the park and its facilities will benefit generations to come.

Although journalists kept pressuring Colamarco for an answer he was evasive, preferring not to commit himself and pondering over the magnificence of the project.

The Brazilian company that is building the the Coastal Strip, Norberto Odebrecht will have an extra 60 days to finish the project after June 21.

According to the Minister matters such as the liberation of the rights of way, which mean a long legal process to do the transfers and that was the main reason for the delay.

It is likely that the Coastal Strip will not be completed until August time, but not date has been given.

Meanwhile, there have been rumors about problems in the construction of the Coastal Strip and many residents are blaming the project for the floods that constantly affect Balboa Avenue.