The Padre Anchieta roundabout is no longer what it used to be, it will now be better. Since the relocation of the saint’s statue, one of the most bustling spaces on the entire island has been getting ready for a tremendous change. A pedestrian walkway that will rise above the streets of La Laguna to enhance an area heavily frequented by vehicles.
With the first major piece of the walkway in the process of being installed, the project continues to pose high complexity, with cranes weighing over 200 tonnes working tirelessly. A project that resembles one of the most iconic buildings in Madrid.
The Santiago Bernabéu project, the stadium of Real Madrid, has been a complete success despite its complexity. Jorge García, from the company OHLA, stated that for the engineer José Romo, CEO of Fhecor and designer of the structure, has raised the level of the walkway to that of the Merengue’s lair: “It is the most technically complex metalwork in Spain after the Santiago Bernabéu“. Previously, the engineer himself had highlighted that there are few projects in Europe with such complexity.
Eight pillars already installed will support about 800 tonnes of the circular area. In total, the weight will be around 1,200 tonnes with the support points 16 meters deep. These will be concreted over two meters.
[–>The complex transportation of the pieces
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The creation and transportation of the pieces is of equal or greater complexity than the project itself. The modules are created in Seville and transported by sea to Tenerife. The first section of the walkway required the closure of several roads during the night of April 4th to 5th.
Weighing 10 tonnes and measuring up to 30 meters, its circular shape required a significant operation for its transfer from the port of Santa Cruz to La Laguna. It is expected that the next module will leave the Andalusian city on April 23rd.
Scheduled return of Padre Anchieta
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The sculpture of St. Joseph Anchieta will not return to the centre of the roundabout. Ever since it was removed, its temporary location has been the Central Campus of University of La Laguna, from where it will be moved shortly.
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Specifically, Rosa Dávila, president of Cabildo, announced the date last Wednesday, 10th of April, during a press conference. It will be on the 17th of April when it is moved to a small square near the Faculty of Biology, where it will be permanently situated and undergo restoration due to “the significant level of deterioration it has.”
