The mayor of La Orotava, Francis Linares (CC), does not give up the old dream of reduce traffic inside the urban area by means of a ring road that connects the North motorway (TF-5) with the middle road and access to the Teide National Park (TF-21). In Linares’ opinion, the ring road is a “necessary and essential” work that requires the budgetary involvement of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Government of Spain and even the European Union.
The villero president recalls that it is “an old project born in the 90s of the 20th century and whose layout is also included in the new General Management Plan (PGO) of the municipality, which is being finalized ». In his opinion, “it would be key to decongesting the traffic that currently passes through the historic center of the municipality, but as it is a work that will involve a large economic investment, the only way it can be done is if it has supra-municipal financing.”
“My intention is to ask the Canary Islands Government that this road ceases to be considered of an insular nature and acquires the character of a regional road or highway, which will allow it to be incorporated in the future with a financial statement in the Road Plans of the Canary Islands with funding from the State and even European» , points out Linares, who insists that this road “will not only bypass La Orotava, but it would also be the main access road to the Teide National Park from the North highway.”
The bypass, or variant route of the town of La Orotava, will be, according to Linares, “one of the great challenges that the next municipal Corporation that comes out of the polls after the local elections next year 2023 will have.”
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan drawn up by experts from the University of La Laguna (ULL) together with social agents and civil society contemplates the decongestion of internal traffic in La Orotava as one of the keys to “improving the quality of life of citizens and the sustainability and decarbonisation of our Villa”. This action will make it possible to reduce the intense flow of traffic that crosses the area of the historic center on a daily basis towards the upper area and the neighborhoods of La Perdoma and San Antonio, and open the door to the future pedestrianization of some of the streets of the historic complex.
The layout of the ring road starts at the height of the north highway (TF-5), from behind the houses of Risco Caído, continuing parallel to the La Arena ravine. It continues along the north face of the Los Ascanios pond and crosses the Paseo de las Araucarias and many open spaces in the Cruz de la Cebolla, Los Frontones and Las Dehesas neighborhoods, until it connects with the Los Altos highway, the TF-21, near from El Recodo, in an area close to the Santo Tomás de Aquino school. Nearby, but without affecting the Opuntia urbanization.
More park in Opuntia
The City Council of La Orotava owns a total of 18,000 square meters in the so-called Opuntia Urbanization, where some 6,000 square meters have already been used in the new park. There are a total of 12,000 public square meters available. «We have already begun to work, in the Municipal Technical Office, on the project to turn this area into a large sports park for the use and enjoyment of citizens. The idea is to create a wide trail for running or walking, and several sports courts. We hope to have it drafted this year”, advances the mayor of La Orotava.
Atlante Theater and Sector 7
Linares announces that in this year 2022 progress will be made in the development of the projects of the so-called Sector 7, next to the Plaza del V Centenario, and the site of the old Atlante Theater, “which has educational and cultural use and would be the ideal place for the construction of a great cultural center». The intention of the local government (CC) is that this plot houses “a new and modern municipal archive, a large study room, a multipurpose exhibition room and a functional room for multiple uses.” Regarding Sector 7, Linares highlights that “the first thing we have to do is look for a company through a public concession to build the car parks that would occupy the enormous sinkhole already made, then we will have to think together with all the political groups what we put on top of it.” of those car parks.
