construction

New road rocks

An inquiry into filler material used in the bay extension reveals Eco Roca, S.A.´s quarry site

Ana Rentería/la prensa

coastal project continues1003856

Most of the rocky material being used to create the Cinta Costera project on Avenida Balboa was taken from the Cerro Patacón landfill, according to a recent inquiry.

This was confirmed by representatives for Norberto Odebrecht, the construction company responsible for the work, who reported that the filler material belongs to Eco Roca, S.A., a mining company.

The information was provided yesterday, two months after it had been requested.

Sources for the companies said that Eco Roca, S.A. and Norberto Odebrecht are excavating from quarries near the landfill with permission from the Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias.

"We don´t buy material from any supplier that doesn´t meet our technical or environmental standards," explained an Eco Roca official.

The Cinta Costera project will fill in approximately 35 hectares of the bay, allowing for four additional lanes on Avenida Balboa and 26 acres of public space. A 3.5-mile wall will be built along the extended coastline, from the mouth of the Río Matasnillo to the Mercado de Mariscos.

The coastal expansions and the new wall represent two of the four phases of the project; the remaining steps include the widening of Avenida Balboa and the landscaping of the public spaces.

Final blueprints for the project will be unveiled on April 2. The final price tag is approximated at $200 million.