Friday, 25 March 2011 17:43
Bahía´s tunnel
"…let´s go to the tunnel baby, let´s to go to the tunnel my love…"
So goes the popular cha cha cha of the fifties, composed by the late master builder, Enrique Jorrín, who held the fascination, the curiosity and happiness generated from Havanians of that time. He made the city´s three underwater tunnels, which contributed to the economy´s development and transport in the capital, making it necessary to expand the city.
The first was Línea or Almendares Street´s tunnel, inaugurated in the middle of 1953, a project done exclusively by Cuban engineers. The main objective was to connect the roads between the areas La Habana and Marianao. Their design permitted 2,500 vehicles to pass per hour.
The second was the one we know as Bahía´s tunnel, which opened its lanes for traffic in 1958, a Cuban, French and NorthAmerican collaboration. With this important work, the development of the area east of La Bahia saw its opportunity to develop and expand into the capital city. With four 3.35 meters-wide, 7.33 meters-long lanes, its total length is 1,600 meters.
These two tunnels allowed for the tunnel known as Calzada, which was completed in just 16 months, in May 1959, with the same technical team. Its construction replaced the "Pote" Bridge, built in 1919, and embellished the surrounding areas and provided for First Street´s bridge known as the Iron Bridge.
Many of Havana´s tunnels have suffered from flooding, due to cyclones and storms that are common during certain times of the year; and many others have needed repairs over the years, but those in the capital are still proud of the tunnels and they are an excellent transportation solution.
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