Officials, residents break ground on landslide mitigation project in Lajas.

With an investment of $491,285.75, the construction of a modern gabion retaining structure in Lajas’ Estancias de Lajas community will now begin.

By THE STAR STAFF

With the purpose of preventing the collapse of several residences in the Estancias de Lajas community, Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, along with District 21 (Yauco, Guánica, Lajas, Sabana Grande, Maricao and Las Marías) Rep. Omayra Martínez Vázquez and Lajas Mayor Jayson “Jay” Martínez Maldonado broke ground this past weekend on a comprehensive landslide mitigation project.

With an investment of $491,285.75, managed by the House speaker, the construction of a modern gabion retaining structure will now begin.

“When Representative Martínez, together with the mayor, informed us of this problem associated with the landslide in Estancias de Lajas, which puts some residences at risk of losing everything and directly affects numerous families, we decided to act quickly, identifying a budget of almost half a million dollars for the construction of a gabion structure that will provide security to these residents,” Méndez said Saturday during a groundbreaking ceremony attended by about a dozen residents of the community.

Gabion structures are flexible, permeable, and durable platforms made of galvanized wire mesh cages filled with stone. They are used in projects related to earth retention, slope stabilization, and erosion control due to their natural drainage capacity and minimal environmental impact.

The mayor noted that the project “is very important because it will directly help many families who could lose everything if we don’t act with the urgency we are showing.”

Rep. Martínez thanked the legislative leader for not only addressing the problem, but also identifying and allocating the funds to solve it.

“The speaker of the House is a friend of Lajas,” she said.