Loíza pushes forward with coastal erosion mitigation project in Parcelas Suárez
By THE STAR STAFF
The Municipality of Loíza is continuing efforts to restore a road damaged by severe coastal erosion in the Parcelas Suárez community while urging the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to expedite a broader erosion control project for the area, Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes said Tuesday.
Nazario said municipal officials, including Vice Mayor Luis Rafael Ortiz Escobar and planner Yeidi Mar Escobar del Valle, recently coordinated the work that will be carried out on Calle 3 in Parcelas Suárez, where part of the roadway collapsed as a result of ongoing coastal erosion.
The mayor said municipal officials also held a conference call with an engineer from the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its acronym in Spanish) and met last week with the contractor selected to carry out the restoration work.
Nazario noted that the project will be completed in three phases. First, DTOP will fill and stabilize the area where the road will be rebuilt. The second phase calls for the construction of a stone revetment in accordance with guidelines issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the DNER. Once those measures are completed, the roadway will be paved.
“We are confident the work can be completed in time before another high-surf event affects the area again,” Nazario said. “We continue to monitor the situation and carry out the necessary efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.”
The mayor also called on DNER Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez to accelerate the agency’s coastal erosion mitigation project in Parcelas Suárez.
“We urge the secretary to expedite the coastal erosion project in this area,” she said. “That project is necessary to protect everything we are about to restore.”
The restoration effort comes months after Gov. Jenniffer González Colón signed an executive order in May declaring a state of emergency in response to critical coastal erosion affecting Parcelas Suárez and other communities along Puerto Rico’s northern coast. The order was intended to accelerate mitigation projects aimed at addressing shoreline loss that continues to threaten homes, public infrastructure and natural resources.
Nazario said Loíza faces unique challenges because of its geography and vulnerability to natural hazards.
“We have a reality that we must deal with,” she said. “Ninety-two percent of our municipality is subject to flooding, and we rank among the municipalities most affected by coastal erosion. These conditions make it extremely difficult to obtain construction permits, which in turn limits economic development.”
Parcelas Suárez has become one of the most visible examples of coastal erosion in Puerto Rico, with advancing shorelines threatening roads, homes and public infrastructure, prompting local and state officials to seek both short-term repairs and long-term protection measures.
