On March 27th, the Department of Public Works will begin conducting a water drainage project in Palm Beach, where persistent rainwater puddles near the gas station have been causing traffic disruptions. In order to make this roadway accessible again to drivers, the DOW will be closing the road in that area.
Project Phases
The project will consist of several phases. The first phase will involve improving the flow of traffic in the area by renewing the asphalt from the Citgo gasoline station up to the Santa Anna Pharmacy. This phase will include three segments, which will involve laying down pipes, removing the asphalt cap on the road leading to the Santa Anna Pharmacy, and pouring down asphalt on the road. The second segment will take place between 11pm and 7am every night for four consecutive days, while the third segment will involve closing the road from 9pm to 12pm the following day.
The second phase of the project will involve expanding the culvert situated in the walls of the crossroad near Tanki Real, located behind the former Palm Beach supermarket. The third phase will include expanding the culverts at Keito, where rainwater passes through two different paths before entering the salt lake in front of the hotels. The fourth and final phase will be conducted in the area of Palm Beach 94B, where the road will be profiled to allow water to flow through.
Changes in Traffic Direction
During the project, there will be some changes in the direction of traffic. The first phase will begin at the crossroad near the CMB bank around the hotel area and will continue northbound, ending at the back side of the gasoline station in Palm Beach.
The DOW estimates that the first phase of the culvert will take around 30 workdays, and as a result, the roadway in the area will be closed for 6 weeks. The DOW requests that the community and tourists in the Palm Beach area keep the roadwork and the disturbance in mind during the duration of the project.
Duration and Request for Understanding
Marlon Croes, the director of DOW, asks for understanding and patience during the project. Croes also notes that the project was identified some time ago and that work has already been done in the back side of the gas station to fix the area. However, the drainage system still needs to be connected to the salt lake and the capacity of the culverts needs to be increased by laying down new pipes.
By completing this project, the DOW hopes to alleviate the persistent rainwater puddles near the gas station, which have caused disruptions in traffic for a long time.