Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Nearly 80 kilometers of extra wiring has been removed from overhead lines and poles in Playa del Carmen. The unused wires were taken down from central areas of Playa del Carmen as part of a city improvement project.
Hernán González de los Santos, the municipality’s Secretary of Territorial Planning, says between 70 and 80 kilometers of accumulated wiring found wrapped around city poles was removed in the past few weeks.
City officials had the wiring taken down after it was noted during recent foot inspections. The unused wiring, de los Santos says, can cause problems in the event of a storm. Not only it its removal an improvement to the urban image, it also reduces risks in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane.
He explained that the work was carried out by the companies responsible for the facilities in coordination with the City Council, and is part of a comprehensive plan to reorganize overhead wiring in priority areas such as the city center.
“The goal is to improve the urban image and prevent accidents, especially in the event of hurricanes or storms. This type of wiring poses a risk and visually damages our surroundings,” said de los Santos.
He said thanks to the coordination promoted by Mayor Estefanía Mercado, various departments and council members have been integrated into the project, which includes supervisory tours.
“We’re going to continue working in blocks and then we’ll launch a campaign to address other areas of the center and replicate the model,” the official said.
City Council members are also inspecting central infrastructure for deterioration. On Tuesday, the city performed its fourth foot patrol, this time in the Gonzalo Guerrero neighborhood with company representatives, where the deterioration of overhead wiring was noted.
The wiring belongs to telecommunications and cable television companies who will be asked to remove it in coming days. The tour also verified the status of private projects by telecommunication companies where the weight of sagging cables poses a risk.
In this case, companies will be asked to replace their obsolete equipment. Private projects by Aguakan were also inspected where authorities found a water leak. The corresponding report was filed with the Aguakan representative who participated in the foot tour.
Uri Carmona Islas, President of the Urban Development Commission, says although there is a working group with telecommunications companies, the results have been insufficient.
“They say they’re working and removing things, but we see that’s not the case. There’s so much to do. They just pass the buck and that’s it. We’re going to put pressure on them at Wednesday’s meeting,” he said.
Carmona Islas added that the latest tour produced photographic and technical evidence that will be used at Wednesday’s meeting to support the demand for immediate action by the companies.
