Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Advancements continue with the insertion of a braille strip of tactile flooring along Fifth Avenue. The project, which is being carried out in the busy shopping area, began July 17 and is scheduled for completion September 17.
According to Gustavo Selvas, the Solidaridad Secretary of Infrastructure, the project is currently 40 percent finished. He says the tactile strip is currently being placed down the center of 5th Avenue between 1st South and Constituyentes Avenue.
He says more than 450 square meters of special braille stones will be added to the pedestrian-only shopping street, which he reports, is used by thousands of people every day.
Workers are lifting a strip of central paving stones and replacing them with the specially marked braille stones to assist the visually impaired. According to Selvas, this is the first time that this type of project has been carried out by the city.
He says the new stones consist of molded podotactile stamped concrete which include alert/stop, direction/move, change of direction at corner, all of which are placed at floor level without protruding from the existing level guide.
He says the project is being financed with fiscal resources through the participatory budget.