New Cinta Costera tourist attraction ready

PANAMA’S latest public tourist attraction “Mirador del Pacifico” (Pacific View) on the Cinta Costera, is set to open this week.

It will bring a blaze of color to the area near the Fish Market and will balance another new parquet at the Paitilla end which is being developed on land originally featured in an attempted land grab scandal

In between the two parks, the original coastal strip, created by the government of Martin Torrijos, has been steadily improved over recent months with the addition of decorative ponds and a multitude of new trees and bushes. As the fresh greenery, and earlier plantings expand, the original Cinta Costera will begin to assume the role of a green belt between the city and the ocean.
But the jury is still out on Phase three of the project which involves the construction of a six lane highway on concrete stilts that will wind its way around Casco Viejo, and will cost, at the latest reckoning, over $782 million.
It replaced a projected $750 million tunnel and was to have cost less.
All three stages of the development have been built by the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has faced continued opposition from the inhabitants of Casco Viejo who fear that the latest stage will ultimately lead to the Unesco delisting of the old city as a World Heritage site.
On Monday, May 13, La Prensa reported anomalies between the original plan covered by an environmental impact study (EIA) and current developments.
It was originally announced that the marine viaduct would connect Avenida Balboa and Avenida de los Poetas
But, says La Prensa the marine bridge has no connection with Avenida Balboa, but with phase two of Cinta Costera near the Fish Market
Geronimo Espitia, coordinator of the planning commission of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects, said the change is not a solution and will cause a bottleneck.
The original design "tourist breakwater", which cost $ 37 million and will be delivered this week, has also recorded variations.