Major public works
The sea-bridge slated for construction,
in front of “Casco Histórico" World Heritage site
View of “Panamá Viejo" World Heritage site,
with the completed bridge in the foreground
Public works in Panama City are constantly confronted with what already exists. The new and old meet the observer’s eye simultaneously. In the case of works that encounter a nearby World Heritage site, positive interaction with UNESCO (and ICOMOS) has been very useful in perfecting solutions for greater compatibility. For example, in the case of the Cinta Costera III plans, four project alternatives were developed and examined, with varying elements and solutions. The project for the sea-bridge linking Avenida Balboa and Nueva Avenida de Los Poetas reflects an enormous effort on the part of the State to go beyond the simple concept of “road infrastructure”. The process distinguishes the project from those with the restricted objective of reducing congestion, connecting or crossing a city by simply building a road or bridge. The project is much more, and is instead the most ambitious undertaking ever in the nation’s history in terms of social insertion and integration, cultural promotion, urban requalification and enhancement of the whole of the historic city. This is an exemplary case for other nations, illustrating the identification and realization of new needs in these types of works, understanding them as an opportunity to improve the parameters for quality of life, to the benefit of the citizens. The project is a true model, reconciling concepts of heritage preservation and sustainable development in a manner that goes much beyond the practical and functional objectives of transportation infrastructure, and represents an innovation in the method of planning public works in Panama. This new model considers the different elements of the reality encountered in the areas that the project influences (in this case, the heritage, social, cultural and urban planning spheres), incorporating contributions from specialists for each of these themes. This instance represents a paradigm shift towards projects of greater social relevance, worthy and requiring of concerted international support to lead to further successful adoption as standard practice. With its spaces designated as recreational zones, bicycle and pedestrian routes, and observation platforms for different, previously unseen views of the beautiful and harmonious relationship between the historic city complex and the Ocean, its rigorous grounding on the objective of empowering the benefits realized from enhancement and development of Heritage Properties ensures that the project will continue its development in a participatory atmosphere, duly communicated with different social actors.