I do not know if I like this idea especially considering the environmental impact it may have but this article from Don Winner is an eye opener. Again new roadways can open up and expand market potential big time and this is one that would greatly impact values in Bocas del Toro.
President Ricardo Martinelli said he plans to connect the mainland of Bocas del Toro with Isla Colon, and he will promote Bocas del Toro and position it as the number one tourist destination in the country. Martinelli’s statements came on a tour of Changuinola in the province of Bocas del Toro, accompanied by the Minister of Housing José Domingo Aria, and local people. In other major announcements for the community, Martinelli said he would continue to invest in road projects, apart from those already made, and he will be responsible for promoting Bocas del Toro as the number one tourist destination in the country. (Panama America)
(Don Winners comment) Hmmm. There’s really a couple of ways you could connect Isla Colon with the mainland via a roadway. The first would be to punch a road from Changuinola down towards the point that’s closest to the North West corner of Isla Colon. There, the stretch of water from the mainland to the island is .91 miles which could be covered with a combination of landfill and a bridge. Or the other option (which I think is better) would be to punch a road out through Aguacate all the way to Loma Partida – that’s still on the mainland the whole way. The stretch at Loma Partida is tiny – .07 miles – and that gets you on Isla Popa. From there, there’s a shallow water gap of .85 miles from the Northern most end of Isla Popa to the Southern most end of Bastimentos. From there it’s another 1 mile gap over the channel to Carenero, and from there a short .14 mile stretch to downtown Isla Colon. I like the route through all of the islands personally, because roads open up areas to development. Punching a road through and building these bridges would double, triple, or quadruple land values, literally overnight. There’s all kinds of places that look like paradise on the surface, but then you realize you have to first fly to Isla Colon and then ride in a boat 45 minutes to reach “Wild Bill’s” house in Aguacate, for example. Imagine if you could drive to Isla Colon in a car from Panama City? Trucks could come in easier and the cost of everything would drop (because right now it all has to come in on boats and barges). The “Northern Route” would be cheaper, faster, and easier – so that’s what they most likely would do first. The “Southern Route” through the islands would take more time and cost more money, so chances are slim on that one. But, I think it would be a better deal for the long term strategic development of Bocas del Toro.
Please read all the comments in Don’s article. Nobody who lives here would support such a thing. It would be of little value to anyone, especially when measured against the costs, both ecological and financial.
One thing that might appear to have been overlooked is the access to the port of Almirante.
At present the main shipping would appear to be bananas. However, there is currently the construction of the new hydro-electric power station and possible future projects are a trans-oceanic oil pipeline and an oil refinery. Both the oil projects would require an enlargement of Almirante’s facilities.
Unless the bridge at the current access channel is sufficiently high so as to let shipping enter and leave – Almirante dies as a port and, as that is the only major employer there, the small town dies..
we will be in boca brava hotel january 27 – jan 31 and in boquete jan 31 – february 5. do you have time to show us some properties in boca chica area? we are from canada. rodney and rita jutlah
Great idea. It would be even be greater if they would propose a road from the sea port of Colon to Bocas along the gulf and south into Columbia the other way. Think of the tourist potenial then. Panama needs to develop and pave more roads in the interior. Open up the country, create wealth for the local land owners.
This coment should be forwarded to the Martinelli party for their consideration
Bueno tengo much tiempo de no ir a la capital, fui a Colon hace tiempo, pero estoy sumamente orgullosa de mi pais, que esta progresando tan rapido, y espero que ahora habran muchos mas trabajos para el pueblo Colonense,y variedad de oportunidades para los mas necesitados de trabajo y no solamente para los ricos y los extranjeros, debemos atender a nuestras familias, y en total para el pueblo Colonense que nuca consigue nada y todo para laa capital, veremos como van a ir todos las promesas que dijo el presidente Martinelli.