The Highway Councilor of the Cabildo de TenerifeDámaso Arteaga, announced yesterday that the pedestrian walkway of the Padre Anchieta roundabout, on the TF-5, near La Laguna and one of the great funnels in the circulation of vehicles on the Island, will not be operational until after the summer of 2024. The work to install the pillars, which will arrive on the Island next week, and must support the infrastructure modules will be developed for fifteen days, between next Monday, November 16 and November 2, “without affecting traffic,” according to the island responsible for the area. Arteaga acknowledged the delay in a “complex” project, although he clarified that it “continues to be executed.”
He attributed not being able to meet the expected deadlines to the adjustment made to overcome the high prices due to the inflation of the materials to be used and their shortage due to the war in Ukraine. Problems that, he indicated, “we have already solved,” which allows us to take another step on the way to completing one of the solutions to the recurring traffic jams on the northern highway.
The placement of what are technically called piles will take place in three phases. The management of the work carried out in the roundabout sent a report to the counselor in which it specifies that the assembly will be carried out during the day – from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. – during those two weeks planned for the central ring and in two of the three entrances, the north towards Trinidad Avenue and the east towards the Transport Interchange. The work of a crane truck will “practically” not affect pedestrians and vehicles.
The South area would remain pending, but the batteries to be placed there have not yet been manufactured, since they correspond to those changed in the modification that had to be faced and there is no date for their reception. After the piles, the eleven modules that require special transportation will be assembled, installation of porticoed formwork to provisionally support the vaults, and night work.
Core structure
The projected solution consists of a continuous metal curved ring-shaped beam of about 100 meters in diameter. The total length of the ring is 314 meters. It will be supported by eight square-section metal piles with dimensions of 500×500 millimeters and variable thickness. The maximum height of the piles reaches 7.4 meters.
North Access
It will connect with Trinidad Avenue to allow pedestrian circulation towards the center of the municipality and the Auditorium of the University of La Laguna The total length of the access ramp is 125 meters. It is supported by eight metal piles with a square section of 500×500 millimeters and variable thickness. Its maximum height is 6.9 meters
East Access
It connects with the La Laguna Transport Interchange building. The access ramp is 80 meters long and the staircase is 47. At the access, seven metal piles with a square section of dimensions similar to the previous ones have been designed. Of them, five are located outside the Interchange. Its maximum height is 6.8 meters.
Three phases of work
The assembly of the eight pillars that make up the central ring of La Pasarela will last one week, from the 16th to the 20th. The crane necessary for the work will be positioned inside the roundabout and on the access branch. straight from TF-24, the La Esperanza highway, to TF-5, without affecting road or pedestrian traffic. The installation of the eight necessary elements at the northern access will take place during another week, from the 23rd to the 27th of this month. In this case, the crane will be located in the work area on Trinidad Avenue. There will also be no impact on traffic. Finally, in phase 3, the five piles that make up the eastern access will be assembled. In this case, only for three days, between October 30 and November 2. The machinery necessary for its assembly will be located on this occasion on Ángel Guimerá Avenue and, unlike in previous phases, road traffic will be occasionally affected.
A key project against traffic jams
The construction of the pedestrian walkway at the Padre Anchieta interchange, with a budget of 8.8 million euros, was awarded in October 2021 to Obras Huarte Lain SA. The strategic infrastructure for mobility on the Island would allow decongesting one of the busiest points on the TF-5. The forecast indicated that it would be executed in 17 months. The overpass would avoid the constant stoppage by providing an alternative passage for pedestrians, especially ULL students. It is a continuous curved ring-shaped beam 100 meters in diameter, supported by a system of supports. The planning includes the work along with two others to alleviate the traffic collapse: the burying of the TF-24, the La Esperanza highway, already completed, and the third lane of the TF-5, direction Santa Cruz. | JDM
