WILLEMSTAD - The Rif project in Otrobanda will cost the government 26 million guilders. This concerns the area between the Renaissance Curaçao Resort in the Riffort Village and the former Coney Island on the Pater Euwensweg. The investment also includes the access road, the price tag of which is 3.7 million guilders.
Tilly Pikerie, the program manager, gave a detailed explanation of the extensive Rif program and the associated financial aspects on Sunday in the weekly broadcast 'VVRP-On' of the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Planning (VVRP). The access road connects the Tula Pier directly with the city via the roundabout at the Hamelbergweg. Tourists and residents benefit from this. A special easily accessible sidewalk offers people with disabilities access to the park.
There were also problems to solve. For example, it turned out that the nearby Benny Leito swimming pool discharged liters of chlorinated water into the mangrove park every week. In addition, the builders had to deal with many pipes underground, including electricity cables from Aqualectra.
Much work still needs to be done, but the first part, Mangrove Park 1, has been completed. The water has been dredged and purified and footpaths have been laid. Together with the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (Carmabi), the project leaders are looking at how Mangrove Park 2 can best be implemented.