The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the Government of the Canary Islands declares the urgent occupation, by way of forced expropriation, of the 181,700 square meters distributed in the 239 plots in cultivated agricultural use, unproductive or pasture necessary to complete the closure of the Insular Ring between Santiago del Teide and the tank. It is required to build the highway, whose northern margin currently registers a lower rate of execution.
Among the arguments that support the request that the General Directorate of Road Infrastructure processed on January 17, it is taken into account “that the work is in progress” and that it serves “to avoid a greater cost for the Administration, derived from delays not attributable to the contractor” at the completion of the works. To pay for that land, this year’s Budget for the Autonomous Community includes 659,723 euros.
A new environmental impact report is not necessary because there are no significant changes
The Autonomous Commission for Environmental Assessment reported that a new report is not required, because the changes that imply what is formally called Modified number 1 of the construction project update works: New project of the El Tanque-Santiago del Teide section (Closing of the Insular Ring of Tenerife) “do not involve significant adverse environmental effects other than those that were evaluated in the initial project and, in some cases, even represent an environmental improvement”.
Expropriated. Among those affected by the forced expropriation are the municipalities of Santiago del Teide, El Tanque and Los Silos. In the case of the municipality of the South, it appears with seven properties totaling 10,362 square meters. The 1,442 square meters that the work requires for El Tanque are distributed among five farms, while Los Silos collects 720 square meters in one property. The Island Water Council of Tenerife (Ciatf), with 58 square meters, is also among those expropriated.
More justifications. The Official Gazette of Canary Islands (BOC) published, in its edition yesterday, the Order of Sebastián Franquis, Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing, which includes other arguments that would justify the urgency of proceeding with the forced expropriation of this land. Specifically, the technical area of the General Directorate of Road Infrastructure maintains that it is necessary “with the aim of avoiding current traffic congestion and accidents, to significantly increase safety, improve the general economic prospects of the western part of the Island and insular and regional connectivity”.
Two lanes. The Island Ring that is under construction is based on a project that has a road with one lane in each direction. A deficit that the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced that it will be corrected with the upcoming approval of modified number two. In the visit made to the Erjos tunnel work on February 3, he assured that this section of the Insular Ring will have two lanes in each direction. Question that José Luis Delgado, the general director of Road Infrastructure, ratified.
The project. The construction of the Santiago del Teide-El Tanque section is essential infrastructure to improve mobility and connectivity between the north and south of Tenerife, as well as to alleviate traffic congestion on the Northern highway (TF-5) in the direction to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The new road connects both municipalities of both regions giving continuity to the Insular Ring between Adeje and Santiago del Teide, to the Southwest; as well as between Icod de Los Vinos and El Tanque, to the East. This new section of the Insular Ring will be 11.3 kilometers long and will be a safer road with greater capacity than the TF-82 in use. In addition, it will save drivers more than 45 minutes compared to the old road. In this way, the TF-1 and TF-5 will be connected to the West.
Overcharge and delay. This work has seen its budget increase by 15 million due to the price review motivated by the current economic situation. Now it exceeds the 256 million cost. Taking into account the modifications, the term to complete the work is extended by half a year, until March 2025.
Erjos Tunnel. The most important performance of the work is the construction of the Erjos Tunnel. This underground work, made up of two parallel tubes each 5.1 kilometers long, runs under the Teno Massif and will be the longest tunnel in the Archipelago and will be among the longest in Spain. It is expected that the South and North tunnel entrances will be found in June.
Other structures. This project is completed by a viaduct, an artificial tunnel to cross the population center of Barrio Nuevo, four underpasses and two overpasses to cross road junctions with paths or roundabouts, and a pedestrian walkway that will serve to maintain the Camino de la Virgen of Lourdes, from Santiago del Teide.
