NEW PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS
OF THE BATISTA REGIME
[GENTE Magazine, Vol. 1, Havana, January 5, 1958, No. 1, American Edition]
Page 43
PHOTO CAPTION - Havana's Fifth
Avenue is one of the lovelier thoroughfares of the Western
Hemisphere. Beautification of the spacious avenue has been
supervised the Cuban Public Works Ministry. A gorgeous rotunda
has been constructed in front of the Havana Yacht Club at the juncture
of several suburban highways.
NEW PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS OF THE BATISTA REGIME
Recent years have seen a notable increase in both public and private
construction. Thousands of pesos have been invested in the
construction of new residential areas, many of them for persons in
medium or lower income brackets, and in new apartment buildings.
The government building program also has grown at great speed in recent
years. From one end of the island to the other, government -
sponsored public works projects have grown up at a fast rate.
This vast government program owes much of its success to President
Fulgencio Batista, who has been abbetted [abetted] in his
untiring efforts by the skilled technicians of Cuba's Public Works
Ministry.
Extensive highways have been constructed across the island from north
to south and from east to west. The high-grade building materials
used on these
Page 44
PHOTO CAPTION - What was until
recently a neglected roadway with grass growing in a wide boulevard of
unusual beauty. Today Linea Avenue is held up as thoroughfare has
been converted into a symbol of Cuba's modernization and progress of
recent years.
PHOTO CAPTION - The older streets
of Havana which used to resound to the rattle of trolley cars, now a
part of the city's past, have been renovated and modernized.
Among these is Carlos III Avenue in one of Havana's larger commercial
and residential zones.
new projects are a far cry from former days when low-grade materials
drastically cut the life expectancy of costly public
thoroughfares. Today's modern highways link vast farming areas
with fishing, villages and mines. Previously isolated zones now
have easy access to marketing areas. Broad highways connect the
larger cities and skip across Cuba's wide rivers on graceful and
solidly-constructed bridges. A vast highway net around Havana
provides numerous entrances and exits from the heart of the busy
capital city. Before construction of this intricate system
traffic in the city was almost completely bottled up during peak
traffic periods.
Inside Havana, streets which formerly gave the city the appearance of a
bombed-out metropolis have now disappeared, only to be replaced by
majestic avenues which are considered among the lovelier and more
spacious thoroughfares of their kind in the world today.
It is sufficient only to cite Carlos III Avenue, linking the in town
section of the city with several suburban housing areas. Infanta
Avenue, the important and ancient city thoroughfare which traverses the
business heart of the city; Reina Avenue, which penetrates to the very
core of Havana; and San Rafael, Neptuno and Galiano Streets, three
vital arteries in the city's circulation system which at one time lay
almost deserted.
Linea Avenue merits separate mention. Formerly lined with a
series of abandoned fountains, it has been converted into one of the
loveliest roadways in the Americas. And Batista Avenue has
greatly reduced driving time from in town Havana to Suburban Marianao
with the re-routing of omnibus traffic through the recently re-
Page 45
PHOTO CAPTION - Travellers
[travelers] to Havana from the south-western part of Havana Province
must cross the city to get to the residential zones on the eastern side
of the metropolis. The long and tedious trip through narrow,
torturous city streets has been expedited notably by the widening and
improvement of 26th Street by the Public Works Ministry. Now
visitors can get to the large Vedado, Miramar, La Sierra and Almendares
suburban areas without having to pass through downtown Havana.
PHOTO CAPTION - Urbanization has
progressed notably in recent years. Several new residential zones
have sprung into being with financial aid supplied by government credit
banks. Fifth Avenue has been widened to carry the increased
volume of traffic to such new residential developments as the Biltmore
and the small town of Santa Fe further to the west.
constructed and widened Columbia Avenue.
President Batista and his corps of advisers have also proven admirable
leaders in the field of hospital construction for the nation's poorer
classes. One of the more famous of these is the Topes de
Collantes Hospital, which is described in detail in a special report in
this issue, and other hospital units throughout the nation. Pinar
del Rio, Las Villas, Camaguey and Oriente Province have seen the
construction of several of these beneficiary establishments, fully
equipped with the most modern architectural devices and medical
equipment that science and industry have devised.
Added to the school, hospital, highway and bridge construction programs
is one for the control and utilization of rivers. Many of the
island's rivers have been dammed and water purification stations
installed to provide suitable drinking water for vast areas which for
centuries have lived without this essential health-assuring measure.
These vast construction projects have been initialized and carried out
for the benefit of the mass of Cuba's population. The funds of
the people have been reinvested in public works projects of undeniable
value to the nation.
Page 46
ADVERTISEMENT - Hotel Vedado
Page 47
PHOTO CAPTION - An aerial shot of Varadero shows the customs building and the new yacht docking area.
PHOTO CAPTION - The
clearest water of the Western Hemisphere and fine sandy beaches have
made Varadero into Cuba's largest tourist attraction. Long termed
the Blue Beach for the crystal cleanliness and clearness of the
surrounding seas, Varadero attracts thousands of visitors a year.
It has also become a lovely city in which both Cubans and visitors make
their homes for extended vacation periods. The Paso Malo Lagoon
provides a safe anchorage for excursion yachts, many of which tie up at
new piers recently constructed by the Public Works Ministry.
Page 48 & 49
PHOTO CAPTION - The lovely
yacht basin a Varadero's Blue Beach is constantly full of pleasure
craft, many of them from the United States. In the background is
some of the new modern construction which is going up rapidly along the
resort's extensive shoreline.
PHOTO CAPTION - Modern
Bridges along Cuba's highways demonstrate the skill and good taste of
Cuban engineers. Shown here is the Las Canas Bridge on the
highway linking Cienfuegos and Trinidad.
PHOTO CAPTION - Another
bridge built on the Sabalo – Mendoza highway in the Province of Pinar
del Rio, on the extreme western tip of the island.
Page 50 & 51
PHOTO CAPTION - A panoramic view
of the monumental Topes de Collantes tuberculosis hospital shows the
huge installation in its verdant setting where patients can enjoy the
clear mountain air of central Cuba.
PHOTO CAPTION - Construction of
the Topes de Collantes hospital had been completed several years
ago. Here is the majestic presence of the building wich [which]
is furnished with the last improvements in medical science.
PHOTO CAPTION - Access to the huge
medical has been facilitated by construction of several modern highways
from nearby communities.
If the opinions of eminent Cubans who have inspected he huge Topes de
Collantes Hospital were not sufficient, the comments of outstanding
world scientists who have had the opportunity of viewing the renowned
hospital construction could also be extensively quoted.
The hospital is, without doubt, a source of pride for the whole
hemisphere. It was constructed with the most modern methods and
equipped with the best facilities available to treat respiratory
diseases. In addition to its unexcelled construction and
equipment, the hospital is also endowed with highly unusual and
extremely beneficial natural location which in itself of considerable
aid to its numerous patients.
In effect Topes de Collantes is a dream which has become a
reality. It is a medical center which is helping Cubans fight
tuberculosis with all the care and aid that modern science and nature
can provide.
Page 52
PHOTO CAPTION - The biggest bridge
of its type in the Americas: this structure is located across the
Cuyaguateje River in western Cuba on the Panamerican Highway.
PHOTO CAPTION - Another of the
many bridges built into Cuba's modern highway network. This
bridge is located in El Lucero, on the outskirts of Havana. It is
traversed by Dolores Avenue which leads into Cuba's large Central
Highway running the length on the island.
PHOTO CAPTION - The trip from
Havana to Varadero can be made in less than an hour and 40 minutes by
using the new Via Blanca Highway, now nearing completion. The new
roadway is now open from Marbella beach, slightly to the east of
Havana, to Rincon de Guanabo.
Page 53
PHOTO CAPTION - The best of Cuban
water power has been another problem facing the nation in recent
times. Shown here is the Cacoyoguin River, which supplies
drinking water to the city of Holguin, third largest in the republic.
PHOTO CAPTION - The bridge over the Yaguanabo River is located on the highway between Cienfuegos and Trinidad.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Felipe Pazos
bridge is located on the highway between Sagua and Sitiecito. It
is constructed of concrete and ha three spans of 46.47 meters each and
six 15-meter spans.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Arimao Bridge,
over the rive of the same name on the Cienfuegos – Trinidad highway, is
another example of the fine work done in recent years by Public Works
Ministry engineers.
Page 54
PHOTO CAPTION - Hospital
construction is being carried out throughout the island. Seen
here is an impressive view of the National Hospital in Havana. In
the background is the National Nursing School
PHOTO CAPTION - A civil Hospital has been built in Cienfuegos to administer to the needs of the surrounding areas.
Page 55
PHOTO CAPTION - Camaguey has not
been neglected in Cuba's building boom. The new civic hospital
will be installed in this building of modern architectural design.
PHOTO CAPTION - In the large
eastern city of Santiago de Cuba a huge medical center is also being
constructed to attend to the medical needs of the people of the eastern
end of the island.
Page 56
PHOTO CAPTION - This 440-meter
bridge crosses the Agabama River on the highway between Trinidad,
ancient and legendary city of Las Villas Province, and Sancti Spiritus,
one of the first cities to be settled by Spanish settlers.
PHOTO CAPTION - Cuba's cities have
been linked with the nation's outstanding tourist resorts by modern
highways. Here is a view of the highway which connects Santiago
de Cuba with the Morro, and old Spanish constructed fort, at the
entrance to the huge port of Santiago.
PHOTO CAPTION - Fulfilling
international commitments, Cuba has constructed its link in the
Panamerican Highway. Shown here is the stretch of the
international road between San Juan y Martinez, fertile tobacco-growing
zone in western Cuba, and La Fe, rich fishing port on the Gulf of
Mexico.
PHOTO CAPTION - Lower class
housing projects have also received attention in Cuba in recent
years. Dolores Avenue, for example has been extended into
residential zones occupied largely by medium or low-income
families. One of this type of residential areas is named Vista
Alegre and appears in the left background.
Page 57
PHOTO CAPTION - The Isle of Pines,
located off of Cuba's southern coast, has constructed a new airport
which is kept busy handling a large number of daily flights.
PHOTO CAPTION - Varadero, Cuba's
number one tourist resort and lushly endowed by nature, has its own
modern airport. A plane waits a load of passengers before
take-off for Havana or Miami.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Antonio Maceo
Airport in Santiago de Cuba has also been greatly enlarged to meet the
growing volume of domestic and international flights. The work
was carried out by the Public Works Ministry.
PHOTO CAPTION - Camaguey, capital
of the province of the same name, has seen a long-standing wish come
true: the city now has a thriving international airport and
terminal. It is a busy stopping place for international and
domestic flights.
*************************************************************************
End of Page
Copyright 1998-2006
Cuban Information Archives. All Rights Reserved.
