Cozumel, Q.R. — Authorization to build an underground pedestrian tunnel in central San Miguel has been denied. The government ministry denied the request for permits to SSA Mexico to build the pedestrian underpass.
Last year the company submitted paperwork to build a 150-meter-long underpass beneath Rafael E. Melgar Avenue. The tunnel would connect the commercial area of its cruise ship dock with San Miguel shopping plazas.
The request was denied by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) since altering topography near cenotes is prohibited.
Last week, Semarnat (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) denied the environmental impact authorization for the project “Pedestrian connectivity between the shopping plazas of the International Cruise Terminal and Park Royal in Cozumel.”
The objective was to guarantee continuous pedestrian traffic between shopping centers and providing a safer way to access the area.
The resolution issued by Semarnat said “based on the provisions and regulations invoked and given their application in this case and for this project, this Administrative Unit in the exercise of its powers, determines that the project, subject to the evaluation that is ruled with this instrument, is not viable.”
Sermanat’s refusal was due to the fact that the tunnel would alter the direction and intensity of the underground water flow by acting as an artificial barrier.
During the construction stage, water removal via pumping would be applied for 14 months, which would generate a lowering of the water table and a modification of the natural hydraulic gradient of the aquifer. During its operation, the tunnel would have an impermeable lining.
The Local Ecological Zoning Program (POEL) of Cozumel prohibits works that alter the underground flow of water and the topography within 10 meters of caves and cenotes, without distinguishing between temporary or permanent impacts.
“Based on the above, in accordance with the precautionary principle, the project generates a reasonable risk of alteration to the underground flow of water and the information presented does not demonstrate its compatibility with the applicable POEL strategy, therefore its execution contravenes said provision,” Semarnat indicated and determined that the project is not viable and its authorization in terms of environmental impact is not feasible.
The underground pedestrian tunnel project requested by SSA Mexico was forecast to cost around 88 million pesos.
