SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 15th May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility of the Canary Islands Government, Pablo Rodríguez, has authorised the continuation of works on the artificial Pie de Bascos tunnel in El Hierro. This tunnel is located on a section of the HI-500 highway, connecting Pozo de La Salud with La Madera beach in the municipality of La Frontera.
A modification is currently being drafted by the Ministry, and through this authorization, the Minister has given the green light for the provisional continuation of specific actions outlined in modification number 1, amounting to 732,243.95 euros, excluding IGIC.
Pablo Rodríguez emphasized that “after a prolonged period without a resolution, the General Directorate of Road Infrastructure has successfully unlocked this significant project by providing alternatives that allow for segmented work without the need for a complete road closure, thus avoiding disruptions to mobility in the area.”
The Minister indicated that the proposed solution will enable work to progress without the necessity of initiating a new tender process. He further stated, “With this initiative, we have ongoing road construction projects across all the islands, honouring our commitment to enhancing road connectivity while implementing more efficient mobility solutions to encourage a change in citizens’ travel habits.”
The construction will be carried out on a stretch connecting Pozo de la Salud with La Madera beach and will involve the construction of a sea-facing artificial tunnel approximately 250 meters long on the HI-500 highway. This tunnel aims to safeguard road users against potential landslides from the adjacent slope. These landslides had previously forced users to take detours along other island roads, resulting in an additional travel distance of 50 kilometres.
Awarded to the consortium of Acciona Construction, SA – Constructora de Proyectos y Obras Civil 2012, SL, the construction falls under the highway agreement with the State and was contracted for 4.5 million euros. Once construction commences, the expected duration of the project is set at 12 months.
In adherence to environmental conservation efforts, the Ministry has stipulated the need for various environmental authorisations to be obtained at every stage to ensure the processes are conducted with full compliance.
