Reinventing a 2.4 km beach front boardwalk #AtoZChallenge
Ecuador recently reinvented the Puerto Lopez malecon (beach front boardwalk). From beginning to end, construction covered a two year period. The 2.4 km malecon is completely upgraded and unrecognizable from it’s former self.
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| New malecon from Victor Hugo Hotel April 2017 |
What was wrong with the old Puerto Lopez malecon?
A deteriorating road, crumbling sidewalk, and no public restrooms made up the old malecon. Two rivers had to be waded through during the rainy season to walk across them. During the dry season when no water flowed, we all drove through their dry bed to reach the other side of the river.
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| Old malecon from Hotel Pacifico December 2011 |
Included bridges, washrooms and buried power lines
Some of the highlights though by no means a comprehensive list:
- The project included two new bridges, many public restrooms, and countless bricks. Power lines were buried, trees planted, playground equipment and streetlights installed. The paved and rutted road was replaced with a brick road and a bike path.
- Experts in several engineering specialties and heavy equipment were brought in from around the country.
- Everything was labor intensive. Much of the cement was mixed manually and hauled by wheelbarrow.
- Each bridge had it’s own team of engineers and workers. The amount of rebar used on each bridge was impressive.
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| Bridge footing construction November 2015 |
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| Bridge construction July 2016 |
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| Walking across completed bridge October 2016 |
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| The entire length has a walking / biking path April 2017 |
Completed Puerto Lopez malecon
My husband shot a 7 minute video in November 2016 from the north end of the malecon to the south end.
Has your town or neighborhood undergone a major construction project?
If you are visiting from the #AtoZChallenge please include your blog link in a comment so I can check it out.
Click here for more about Puerto Lopez.
Emily Bloomquist
I am a US Expat in Ecuador. I grew up on a Minnesota farm, worked in IT in California's Silicon Valley, then moved to a coastal Ecuador fishing village. My goal is to share Ecuador with you, one snippet at a time. Topics include attractions, compassion, ecotourism, Ecuador products, everyday Ecuador, and flora and fauna. Please let me know what you would like to read more about!
32 Comments
Molly of Molly's Canopy
That is in impressive reconstruction/reinvention! Hard to believe it's the same place from the before and after photos.
Emily Bloomquist
Hey Molly, Many people who visit for the first time in two or three years can't believe it is the same place, either!
sage
Every place I lived has undergone major constructing, usually finishing up about the time I leave. It looks like a nice walkway.
http://sagecoveredhills.blogspot.com/2017/04/r-is-for-get-this-reticulum.html
Emily Bloomquist
Are you in construction, Sage?
Susanne Matthews
Well done. The pictures tell an amazing story. We aren't big on rebuilding at the moment, but we have taken down a huge international bridge and replaced it with a smaller, more efficient one. Find me here. LINK
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Susanne. Replacing a huge international bridge is quite an undertaking. I imagine both countries had to coordinate. More efficient is nice!
Jean Davis
Wow, the new walk looks awesome! I love all the plants along the way. And restrooms! Glad someone was thinking. 😀 I would guess the new walk attracts a lot more people than the old one. It looks very inviting.
Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
Emily Bloomquist
Glad you noticed the great job they did with the plants Jean. Restrooms are such a welcome addition! More people are starting to visit now, which is great for all of the local businesses.
Aidyl Ewoh
Wow, that does look like they did a lot of work on it! Nice. 🙂 I don't think my town has done any big projects recently, but where I work they're finishing up a pretty nice lodge that they've been working on for a while.
Visiting from the A to Z Challenge. You can see my "R" post here: https://lydiahowe.com/2017/04/21/r-is-for-raquel-atozchallenge/
Emily Bloomquist
It was a huge undertaking. So glad it is finished so everyone can enjoy it. It will be nice when they finish the lodge so you can enjoy it, too.
Chicky Kadambari
Hi Emily!
That bridge looks unrecognizable from the before photo. I love that walking/biking path all along, and all the plants. Love the green!
Nothing such large-scale is going on in my neighborhood, but if I talk about my country, then I guess the river Ganga cleaning project is perhaps huge.
Happy AtoZing!
Chicky @ http://www.mysteriouskaddu.com
Emily Bloomquist
Hi Chicky – It is amazing how different it all looks now!
The river Ganga cleaning project is huge – I hope that they are able to get it cleaned. Then keeping it clean will be another big project!
Tamara Narayan
Looks beautiful. Must be wonderful to enjoy after all the hard work to construct.
R is for Reptilian Elite
Emily Bloomquist
It is wonderful to walk along it or sit and people watch. Or turn around and watch the waves. Very relaxing.
Arti Jain
That boardwalk looks so inviting. Enjoy your walks:)
Large scale construction is all one gets to see where I live…the city is getting ready for 2022 World Cup.
R is for Rann of Kutchch
Emily Bloomquist
That construction will be going on for a while, too. Hope the new buildings and stadiums are beautiful and useful after the World Cup. I will see them on TV in 2022.
Courtney Turner
Construction in Hawaii seems to take a loooooooooooong time. I remember a bridge, it wasn't that long a bridge… that was to the entrance of my town and it took like 20 years to build it. I guess someone made a lot of money from the government. Maui Jungalow
Emily Bloomquist
Wow – 20 years seems too long for a non-that-long bridge!
Arlee Bird
Sounds like a great undertaking and looks nice in the photos. Hope they maintain the public restrooms well. Some of the facilities in beach places in California are allowed to become pretty nasty.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Emily Bloomquist
There is a person (possibly more than one) in charge of the restrooms so hopefully they will keep them well maintained. Unattended ones can get nasty fast on a beach.
Nick Wilford
Looks like it would be great for a stroll or cycle. Not on the same scale, but the high street and scenic areas of my town got a makeover about a decade ago. It was pretty run down before.
Emily Bloomquist
It is nice when a rundown area gets a makeover. They become more pleasant for all to enjoy.
Judy Rinehimer
Goregeous. Someday I may get to Ecuador. Your blogs are so inviting.
Judy Rinehimer
Coolrvers.blogspot.com
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Judy. It is a wonderful country to visit (or live)! The friendly people are the best part and I haven't even blogged about them.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Emily – I'm impressed it looks an amazing reinvention … and how wonderful for the town and for visitors … it must be a lovely place to live and to visit – as you say … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/s-for-sheep.html
Emily Bloomquist
It is a lovely place to live and visit. Thanks Hilary.
A Tarkabarka Hölgy
Wow! The end result looks like it was completely worth it! I'd love to walk around there…
The Multicolored Diary: WTF – Weird Things in Folktales
Emily Bloomquist
It was worth it Zalka! I love walking it.
Susie
What a project! Now it is so nice to walk or bike and beautiful to look at. Lucky you!
Emily Bloomquist
It is a beautiful walk, Susie! One of these days I may get a bike and enjoy it that way, too 🙂
Nilanjana Bose
Where I am, and have been, really there is too much construction. Urbanisation galore, without much thought for the environmental implications or sustainability
Emily Bloomquist
That seems all too common, Nilanjana. The environment is protected in Ecuador's constitution so every project has to take it into account. It is not perfect, but it helps.