Tranvía probably won’t meet May deadline, new city project coordinator says

Almost certainly belaboring the obvious, Cuenca’s new tranvía construction coordinator Guillero Argudo said Tuesday that the project was unlikely to meet its May deadline.

New city tram coordinator Guillero Argudo.

“Because of the disagreement with CCRC (Consorcio Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca, the Spanish company overseeing construction), it will be very difficult to have the trains running in May,” Argudo said. He added that it is up to Mayor Marcelo Cabrera to officially extend the project deadline.

“It is unfortunate, but the fact that CCRC is not doing its job makes it almost impossible to project a completion date,” Argudo said. “We continue to talk to them and some progress has been made but many issues remain unresolved.” Negotiations between CCRC and the city of Cuenca are being mediated by the attorney general’s office.

Tram cars sit idle in the station.

Despite the impasse with CCRC, Argudo says progress is being made under the emergency declaration ordered by Cabrera, which allowed the city to assume project management duties. Work on Calle Gran Colombia between Padre Aguirre and Estévez de Toral will be completed next week he said, as well as work on two other intersection in the historic district.

Meanwhile, most work outside of the historic district is at a standstill although some laborers are on-site in areas where construction is affecting businesses on Avs. España and Las Americas

Argudo says a final decision has not yet been reached on extending the emergency declaration, which expires in a week. “This depends on talks with CCRC but obviously, the work must continue,” he said.

The May 2017 tram deadline is the third announced since the project began four years ago.