Chapala city hall is cranking up the pace to complete major public works projects by the end of next month, Mayor Javier Degollado declared during an inspection tour to various sites on Tuesday, January 16.
His first stop was in Ajijic to check progress on the central highway, where the installation of new underground water and sewage infrastructure is underway along its northern border. As soon as the pipes are covered, foundations will be laid for a solid line of sidewalks and ciclovía (cycling path) that will stretch between the intersections of Calles Javier Mina and Juárez.
According to Obras Públicas Director Rodrigo Paredes the banquetas (sidewalks) will measure an average of 1.2 meters in width, while the bike lane will span two meters across with rubberized protection strips placed for outside separation from the pavement.
Work crews are going gangbusters on a double shift schedule set at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in daylight hours, and 9 p.m. to 3 p.m. after dark. Some manpower has been assigned to repaint rundown building facades in varied colors chosen by the property owners. Other final touches will include new street light fixtures, standardized commercial signs and freshly painted roadway markings to define traffic lanes, loading zones and bus stops.
Meanwhile, workmen specializing in laying cobblestones have been dispatched to repair rough spots found along the town’s inner streets.
The mayor and his entourage left Ajijic for a buzz through San Antonio to check out the construction of new sidewalks and street repairs going on there. They then headed on to Chapala oversee progress on upgrades for three blocks of Calle Zaragoza and the full length of Morelos.
Paredes calculates that the Ajijic project will be completed by mid-February as a “Valentine’s Day gift” to the town. He expects to wrap up work on Calle Zaragoza at the end of this week. Improvements on Morelos between Zaragoza and Avenida Gonzalez should be finished before Chapala’s Carnaval begins February 2. Work on the last two-block leg will be suspended until the festivities are over.