Mariscal Lamar closed for tranvía work; City wins first legal challenge from CCRC

Calle Mariscal Lamar at the Ninth de Octubre market will be closed for 60 days as utilities are rerouted and tranvía track is installed. Work in the area, bordered by Calle Hermano Miguel and Hayana Capac, has been stalled for almost 18 months.

Cuenca won first tram legal challenge.

The city said it will keep one lane open for residents and merchants with stores in the area during the construction.

In other tram news, the city of Cuenca won the right to continue project management of the project in an arbitration session in Santiago, Chile. The former project manager Consorcio Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca (CCRC), had asked the arbitrator to stop construction until all legal issues were resolved. It was the first legal ruling in the case between the city and CCRC since Mayor Marcelo Cabrera terminated the contract with CCRC on February 16.

The arbitrator ruled that a work stoppage was unnecessary and would be a major inconvenience to the people of Cuenca.

The original contract between the city and CCRC stipulates that legal contractual issues be resolved in the courts of Chile.