Lakeside communities will benefit from substantial government investment in street and highway infrastructure improvement programmed for this year, despite inconveniences that may arise as projects get rolling on par with the start of the summer rainy season.
Throughout this week Chapala Mayor Moisés Anaya presided at a series of public meetings held to announce the projects that will be carried out under the Presupuesto Participativo program, through which early-bird tax payers were allowed to vote on priority public works.
During his visit to Ajijic Tuesday, May 6, Anaya presented an overview of street upgrades that will initiate in the coming weeks. The package includes total rehabilitation of cobblestone thoroughfares on Calle Ocampo-Constitución between Seis Esquinas and Revolución, Calle Flores Magón from the highway to the waterfront, and Aldama from the north end to Constitución. The work will be complemented by construction of handicap-friendly ramps and solid crosswalks at 16 intersections located in the center of town.
In addition, the village is also receiving a replacement pump and motor for use in emergency repairs of local wells, plus 100 free water tanker services to supply residents in need.
The sum investment totals just over 1.8 million pesos, representing 15 percent of property taxes and SIMAPA water service fees collected from Ajijic taxpayers during the first three months of the year.
During the event Hector España and José Roque reported that 90,000 pesos has been raised through the Expat King and Queen campaign to purchase materials for pothole repairs throughout the municipality, with manpower to be provided by the government.
Similar street works are planned for Chapala proper, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Santa Cruz de la Soledad, San Nicolás de Ibarra and Atotonilquillo, as announced during the mayor’s appearances in each locality. On all occasions he stressed that his administration is marking a historic first in giving citizens a voice in how the government spends its resources.
Highway projects
Travel to, from and around the north shore region will get a boost in the near future through funding lined up for the Jalisco government’s Highway Infrastructure Plan.
Late last week Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez announced details of projections to rebuild, repair and maintain 4,420 kilometers of the state highway system plus portions of federal highways during his six-year term. The plan contemplates an investment of approximately 8.2 billion pesos drawn from state and federal coffers.
Cited among the projects is resurfacing and maintenance of the Guadalajara-Chapala highway in the stretch between Guadalajara’s Periférico ring road and the Santa Rosa turn-off to Ocotlán-La Barca. Late Wednesday night road crews were already repaving the heavily potholed stretch of road from the Santa Rosa overpass to the Pepsi Plant on the northbound lane of the highway.
A total of 82.84 million pesos is destined to refurbish the Chapala Libramiento bypass and the highway connecting Chapala and Jocotepec.
As icing on the cake, this week state officials revealed that the Chapala-Jocotepec ciclovia is tagged for inclusion in the Movilidad Activa program aimed at promoting non-motorized transport. The first stage of the project will involve major renovations for 7.26 kilometers along the existing cycling path running between the two towns, with an outlay of 58.5 million pesos.