The construction of the Santiago del Teide-The tank of the Island Ring increases its budget by 15 million for the price review and exceeds 256of which the Canarian Government has already paid 104.7 million. The works are at 80% in the opening of the Erjos tunnel and the highway is at 45%a road that will have two lanes in each direction with the upcoming approval of the second modification of the project. The deadline to complete the work is extended by half a year, until March 2025.
This 11.3 kilometer long section includes the longest tunnel in Canary Islands and one of the longest in the country, with 5.1 kilometers. The joint venture formed by FCC Construcción, Syocsa-Inarsa and El Silbo employs 102 workers directly and 204 in its construction, having so far excavated 3,860 meters of the right or main tube and 3,645 meters of the left from the South, as well as another kilometer for the North. The daily progress of excavation in each tunnel ranges between 15 and 20 meters.
This infrastructure, designed for its possible future expansion to a third lane, makes it possible to save the Teno massif. The works are carried out simultaneously in the four mouths without interruption in a triple work shift. To do this, they use a robot that opens 105 holes in which they place the explosives used in the computer-controlled demolition. A siding is set up for every kilometer of the route and every 250 meters there is a gallery that connects both tunnels to act in the event of an evacuation.
The final budget for the 11.5 kilometers of the El Tanque-Santiago del Teide section is 256 million
Environmental measures require 18 of the 256 million of the cost of the work from this road, which has two nurseries located in both regions of the Island.
“In the face of words and stories, we show actions and data,” he said. Angel Victor Torrespresident of the Government of the Canary Islandswho recalled that this is the most important public work awarded in the country in 2019. On November 11 of that year “we signed the contract in extremis for this work to begin, because there was only one month left until the Declaration of Environmental impact”.
Torres said he was satisfied with the progress of the work and stressed the importance of having resolved the conflict over the Highway Agreement with the State. “This supposes 1,600 million of work in execution or to execute”. Of the 16 projects for Tenerife“13 are running or committed.”
All this was stated during the visit made this Friday to the Erjos tunnel. In this context, the president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, stressed that this work “marks a before and after in communications between the north and south of the Island.” He assured that this year “the start” of the works from Icod de los Vinos to San Juan de la Rambla -also from the Insular Ring- and the section of the TF-5 that runs between Guamasa and the lower part of La Laguna, will be published. “they have already approved the environmental impact statement”.
The road will have two lanes in each direction, once the second modification of the project is approved
The Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands, Sebastián Franquis, explained that “with this visit, we wanted to show that a picture is worth a thousand words and I think that what we have seen here today allows us to verify the dimension of such a important as the one we are carrying out between Santiago del Teide and El Tanque”.
Emilio Navarro, mayor of Santiago del Teide, claimed the Island Ring for the benefits it has brought to the municipalitybecause the southern section “has made us more competitive” as a tourist destination, something that is reflected “in the employment and economic dynamism that we have achieved”. He is convinced that the new section “solves mobility on the Island, improves sustainability and family reconciliation”. He announced that “we are already working to anticipate the change in the economic model that this will mean for Santiago of the Teide”.
The Government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, stressed that this work reflects “that the Government of Spain complies” with the Highway agreement and advocated “having this work operational as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, Ignacio Ferraro, manager of the joint venture that is carrying out the work, stressed that “we are less than a kilometer away from finding the north mouth of the tunnel, what could be produced in five months”.
This way, in which speed will be limited to 80 kilometers per hour, substantial improvement in safety and halves the current travel time between the TF-1 and the TF-5. The work includes two links in the urban areas of El Tanque and Santiago del Teide, three false double tunnels, three viaducts, two overpasses, three underpasses, 21 drainage works and eight channeling of existing channels.
Of this global budget, 18 million are dedicated to environmental actions in the area, details the Government of the Canary Islands in a statement.
Ángel Víctor Torres has stressed that “a few months” after reaching the Government, specifically on November 11, 2019, the contract was signed “in extremis” for this work to begin because there was only one month left for the Impact Statement to expire Environmental (DIA).
Since then, he has valued the Canarian president, the work has been carried out without paralysis despite being one of the most economically valuable on the islands “and one of the most important in the country.”
Torres expressed his satisfaction with the pace of work and also stressed the importance of resolving the conflict over the road agreement with the State “after disputes and lawsuits because we sat down at a table and negotiated it with the Government of Spain“.
This supposes, has abounded, 1,600 million works in execution or to be executedand “in addition, we managed to use the surplus (another 500 million) for current spending, dependency, health, education or whatever the Government believes necessary,” he added.
16 highway projects
Ángel Víctor Torres highlighted that of the 16 road projects committed to in the agreement for Tenerife, a total of 13 are already underway or committed, with the recent approval of the environmental impact statement for the section of the island ring between Icod de los Vinos and San Juan de la Rambla, as well as for the variant of The lagoon.
“Faced with words and stories, we show actions and data, and that is what citizens want: governments that solve problems, and many of us have solved them, such as the highway agreement and this work on the largest tunnel on the islands,” he said. insisted.
The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín, has assured that “This work marks a before and after in the communications of the north and south of the island”.
It has also announced that in 2023 the start of two other works will be published that will suppose “a momentous change on the roads” and will help solve the traffic problem on the TF-5, such as those from Icod de los Vinos to San Juan de la Rambla and the section of the TF-5 that goes from Guamasa to the lower part of La Laguna, which They have already approved the environmental impact statement.
Sebastián Franquis has commented that “with this visit, what we wanted is to show that an image is worth a thousand words, and I think that the image that we have seen here today can verify the dimension of a work as important as the one we are carrying between Santiago del Teide and El Tanque”.
The new section, which when finished will join the rest of the TF-5, It is 11.3 kilometers long and includes the Erjos double tunnelwhich allows the Teno massif to be saved.
To expedite its excavation, drilling is being carried out simultaneously in the 4 mouths without interruption in a triple work shift until its completion. Drilling is done mainly by blasting and, if the terrain makes it necessary, by mechanical means.
Up to now, 80% of the tunnel has been excavated in advance, corresponding to 3,860 meters for the right tube and 3,645 meters for the left tube, with just over two kilometers remaining between the two tubes. The daily excavation advance in each tunnel is 15-20 meters.
With these data and this level of work, It is expected that between July and August of this year both tunnel tubes will be laid..
This work directly employs 102 workers between operators and specialized personnel, who work in three eight-hour shifts, seven days a week, details the Government of the Canary Islands in the note.