Greetings to all!

Today I will show you a very interesting way to get to the neighborhood of Miramar, in the city of Havana, Cuba. In this post, I'll show you how to get to this district by passing underwater, specifically under the Almendares River, one of the rivers that crosses the city. To do so, it is necessary to go through the Calzada Tunnel.

A tunnel is a complex and very useful underground structure, as it connects two distant points, allowing us to overcome the geographical obstacles in between. The Calzada Tunnel, also called 5th Avenue Tunnel, marks the beginning of the cast and is one of the access points to this area.

The Calzada Tunnel joins two important neighborhoods of the capital, Vedado and Miramar, separated by the Almendares River. Previously, there used to be a bridge called Bridge of Pote on the site where it is currently located. This bridge was demolished to make way for the construction of the tunnel. The decision to demolish it and build a tunnel in its place was taken because the traffic of cars in the city was increasing and the transit of cars over the bridge was very slow as it was necessary to raise it several times a day to allow the passage of boats. It was therefore necessary to find a solution to this inconvenience, and it was opted for the construction of a tunnel. Moreover, it was more economical to build it where the bridge was located, because it would be shorter in this place.

Some facts about its construction

In order to build the Calzada Tunnel under the river, it was necessary to remove a large quantity of cubic metres of soil from the bed and mouth of the Almendares. In addition, a large amount of stone material was used to fill the pit that was opened at the site where the tunnel was to be built. Subsequently, this material was compacted and levelled in order to place the structure that would cover it.

Thinking about all these details I realize how complex and precise this type of construction must be. It is essential to ensure the safety of the people using it, so every aspect must be done correctly, paying attention to even the smallest detail. Furthermore, the design of the tunnel must ensure that there are no accidents or traffic congestion.

For these reasons the Calzada tunnel has been closed on several occasions by the Road Safety Commission for maintenance and repairs. Safety in this tunnel is of utmost importance and special attention is given to it.

My way through the tunnel

Although I have crossed this tunnel on many occasions, I have always done so in a vehicle, never on foot, so I was a bit excited when I entered.

The tunnel has four lanes, two in each way, and two pavements on the sides for pedestrian traffic (where I was walking this time).

The outside of the tunnel is painted blue and the inside walls are covered with white slabs, which makes the tunnel brighter, as the white reflects 100% of the light. To increase the brightness of the interior, several lamps are placed on top of the walls at some distance from each other, reflecting their light onto the tracks. The area in the centre is the brightest because it receives the least light from the outside.

Inside, all the noises sound different, as if they were increased, I imagine that this has to do with its shape or with something related to its design that causes the noises to be amplified, you can also hear a bit of echo. Cars are speeding past and you can clearly hear the sound of the tires moving over the pavement.

Looking towards the light filtering through the exit was a bit uncomfortable and annoying for my eyes because of the contrast between the less bright interior where I was, and the bright light at the end. So I tried to avoid looking ahead.

I took several photos from different locations to capture the best view of everything. I even climbed up a section of the road above the tunnel to get a clearer view of the vehicles entering and exiting.

I walked through this tunnel both ways, so my experience was twofold. There were several people, like me, crossing the tunnel on foot. From that moment on, I decided that whenever I had the opportunity, I would walk through it. It was a different experience for me.

So much for today's post. I hope you have enjoyed everything I have shown you about the Calzada Tunnel. It is a real pleasure to be able to write about the architecture of my city.

See you next time! 👋

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Blibiography consulted: Ecured

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