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Best I can explain, without been a nuisance to the engineer to get more information, is that as they were digging in new areas, they ran into boulders that required the heavy equipment crew. The breaking of these boulders may take days. So, they would move the work crew on to other areas and later to return once the boulder crews cleared the way. Keep in mind these boulders are spread everywhere and that once they break one apart, they may find another a few yards away

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I went from north of town to Alto Boquete this morning. Be forewarned that the intersection at the municipio and Romero is being excavated and therefore is closed. Bridge access and egress is via the use of the narrow road on the west side, in front of the ice cream parlor. Cars are parked along that street making it one lane. There's no one directing traffic, so it's significantly backed up. And that was early. I advise using the Palo Alto/Alto Lino loop if you're headed for the north side of town.

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Yes Bonnie, also on Tuesday when I went into town, the right turn that was in use was blocked off and we were directed along the main road into town or to take a left turn past The Haven. I have come to the conclusion that it is best to be prepared for anything...tho' I didn't see any rock breaking! 

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Am I the only one who remembers all the bitching and complaining that went on during the widening of the Via Boquete to 4 lanes?  Every day people were at their keyboards pounding out complaints of inconvenience, poor planning, bad management, and predictions of death and destruction.

All the griping stopped upon completion and people now travel to David in about 1/2 hour.

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Since the heavy rains last night, the intersection at Bruna grocery and the derelict building is a real nightmare: deep, deep potholes. You want to avoid it if at all possible. I thought I was going to have to go into four-wheel drive to get through this morning.

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Here is the latest notice concerning detours issued jointly by the CUSA (the principal contractor), CONADES, (the entity in charge funded by the Presidency), and the Ministry of the Government.

This is to complete the work between the Terpel station and Ave. A Oeste, which I believe is the final section of the trunk line.

Incoming traffic from El Alto will make the sharp right heading down to the area known as La Bajada where they will pick up Av. Belisario Porras.

Outgoing traffic will exit town by Avenida A  (Haven Spa road)

* Important 

Buses will be advised of their route by flagmen at the intersection of Av. A Oeste and Avenida Central.

Tractor trailers and other heavy vehicles will enter and leave via the Wilson Bridge route.

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Edited by Keith Woolford
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An article from today's LaPrensa

Boquete, history repeats itself

Ohigginis Arcia Jaramillo Oct 19 2018.

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It blows the strong breeze in the paradise of Boquete, as a sign that a storm of the rainy season is coming.

People run in search of refuge, while avoiding the wide gaps that the construction of the sanitation network and the district's new drinking water treatment system has left in its wake, a work that is carried out under the responsibility of the National Council for Sustainable Development ( Conades).

Among the desperate community was Brayan, a retiree who arrived in Boquete, from the United States, six years ago. There he dedicated himself to teaching languages, and chose to retire on the banks of the Caldera River. He assures that his first years were splendid.

"I had reached glory. I was in heaven, "said Brayan, who preferred to give his first name only, describing the beginnings of his life in this district of Chiriquí, which daily reaches between 1,000 and 1,100 tourists.

The man, 74 years old, with blond hair and light skin, acquired a property in the village of Bajo Boquete, where most of the population and the commercial activity of the place is concentrated. There he was happy because the climate was between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, he sowed his favorite plants, he breathed pure air, he had absolute tranquility and when he needed food he went out to buy them in the center of town.

It was the retirement I had always dreamed of, until three years ago the dream scenario became chaotic. Large and noisy machines entered the town and broke the main streets. The peace is over.

What Brayan does not understand yet is why they break and do not fix. "These years have been spent breaking, breaking, breaking and do not end," he says in a bewildered tone, while looking at the heavy equipment that performs excavation tasks.

The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Boquete, together with local authorities, have already addressed the negative impact generated by this project in the area, due to almost seven months of delay in the construction phase.

Even, a few weeks ago, the President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, went to the site and promised that the work would be streamlined so that they are ready before the high tourist season begins, next November.

In the midst of their despair over the economic losses reported by merchants - between 50% and 60% -, the Chamber of Commerce of Boquete invited experts from the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA) last week, with the objective that they made a diagnosis of the project, which is executed by the Aguas de Boquete Accidental Association consortium, formed by Constructora Urbana, SA and Administrator of Construction Projects S.A., at a cost of $ 22 million.

Among those who attended were Gustavo Bernal, president of the SPIA, and Ariel Arturo Samudio Duarte, member of the College of Civil Engineers, who toured these lands in which about 25 thousand people live.

Bernal concluded that what happens in Boquete is very similar to what happens in the projects Urban Renovation of Colón, urban revitalization of the Argentina road, in the province of Panama, as well as in the works to provide a new sewer system to David, capital of Chiriquí.

In all these projects, delays and affectations have been reported to the communities. "Lack of inspection and compliance with construction standards," he said.

Among the deficiencies detected by the SPIA is the problem of channeling and compaction of the street slab. "The haste of these works and the way they are developed will have negative consequences for the future if the correct corrections are not taken," said the engineer.

Samudio Duarte is surprised how they leave the excavated material on the street, despite the fact that there is a disposal site. "Boquete is a valley where there are not many streets. There must be a plan more consistent with the construction of the health network and improvements to the aqueduct, "he said.

For the vice president and member of the Boquete Chamber of Commerce, Analía Velásquez and Javier Pinzón, respectively, although they have gone through this work for three years, what they expect is that the infrastructure has the "necessary quality".

Health and lack of water

These works, which are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019, have also generated constant water cuts in Boquete, a situation that has led to meetings between health authorities and the Mayor's office of the district. There are up to four interruptions per week, according to businessmen and residents.

Heikel Jurado, medical director of the polyclinic Ernesto Pérez Balladares father, reported that there is an unusual increase in cases of diarrhea, which is why they met with local authorities. "There are other departments, such as dentistry and laboratory, that are affected when there is no water. Many appliances there use water, "he said.

The doctor said that usually these cases of diarrhea occur when there is a water consumption that does not meet the standards of quality and potabilization, as well as carelessness in the health part.

To clear up any doubts, the mayor of Boquete, Emigdio Walker, said that they do periodic water tests and this week they asked the water laboratory of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí to do water evaluations, the results of which have not yet been delivered.

"During the works pipes are broken, but it is a subject that is rigorously inspected. We have 2 sources of springs and 23 rural aqueducts throughout the district, "he said.

On the lack of planning that entrepreneurs and the SPIA argue, Manuel Soriano, director of Conades, alleged that he respects the opinion of each one of them.

"If any of them has the perfect formula to bury a pipe without affecting anyone, please let us know how it is done. Making a sanitary sewer involves breaking the street and there is no way to do it in any other way. That's David, Santiago and Colón [where changes are also made to the health network], "the official concluded.

https://impresa.prensa.com/panorama/Boquete-historia-repite_0_5148235224.html

Edited by Keith Woolford
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The following detour plan has been released by the Mayor's office. Fortunately, it does not include the badly eroded "river road."
 
Going into town, take the hairpin turn just before the Haven road.  Go down to the road that parallels Central Ave. running past the library into town (Av Belasario Porras). Note that large vehicles can enter the town via The Haven road, presumably to avoid gridlock on these other very narrow roads associated with the hairpin turn.
Leaving town, take the road that goes by the Haven, exit that road onto the main road and turn right, then go up the hill.
 
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Edited by Bonnie
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A message from the P.R. office of the Mayor

SOON IT WILL BE JUST A BAD MEMORY, BUT THERE WILL BE A BETTER DISTRICT OF BOQUETE

From the moment we took on the Sanitary Network and Municipal Aqueduct Project, courtesy of the Central Government, we did it with the purpose of providing a better quality of life and therefore providing health to the Boquete district and our visitors.

A little more than two years have passed and we are already in the final phase of the project we remain optimistic,that it will not be long before these difficult moments are over, not only for the district, but for all of us, we hope that it will soon change for the better and we will see the results in the success of all sectors.

For many it represents a political cost, that is why they did not dare to do it, for the Mayor it represents development, because we are men and women of faith, we trust that everything will soon be a bad memory and we will still feel more proud of being Boqueteños.

Public relations department

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