The construction of an underpass (a section that runs under the road or highway) for vehicles and pedestrians will improve road safety in the neighborhood of La Rambla, in the municipality of San Juan de la Rambla, whose residents have been demanding for 42 years a solution that puts an end to the situation of this ‘black spot’ on the road with a high concentration of accidents.
This alternative is similar to the one that is accessed at El Socorro beach, in Los Realejos. It was presented yesterday at the Cabildo de Tenerife by the island councilor for Roads, Enrique Arriaga, the mayor, Ezequiel Domínguez, and two representatives of the ‘Todos por La Rambla’ platform, and it guarantees that, on the one hand, there is no crossing of vehicles, and on the other, that pedestrians, hikers and users of public transport can safely cross the TF-5.
“Obviously it’s not an easy performance. It needs a process, study of alternatives, projects and award of the work”, recognized Arriaga to this newspaper. “Meanwhile, we are trying to find a provisional solution that is not easy due to the characteristics of the road and the topography of the place, which affects the protected area of Barranco de Ruiz, included in the Natura 2000 Network,” he explained.
“The important thing is that the definitive one is already there and it was presented to the neighbors. We want it to move forward and not be entrenched for another 40 years and for this we will hold the meetings that are necessary, ”said Arriaga.
Asked why it took so long to find a solution, he confirmed that “he came across a project from 2016, agreed with the Government of the Canary Islands, the administration that owns the road, which offers a proposal that is not completely safe because it consists of two lanes waiting, one for entry and one for exit in the area, but in the end there are crossings between them. Therefore, seeing that it was not the most appropriate alternative, both administrations relaunched this action to achieve a definitive solution as soon as possible.
For a month and a half, the residents have gathered every Sunday at twelve noon at the entrance to the neighborhood and then make a caravan of vehicles with banners to demand safe access to the highway. The danger has increased at this point in recent years due to the increase in traffic, mainly between Icod-El Tanque, and they warn that it will become even more dangerous when the section of the Insular Ring that runs through San Juan de la Rambla is finished.
