The Santa Cruz City Council, through its departments of Infrastructure and Public Services, conducted a site visit yesterday to assess the developments in the renovation of the bridges spanning the Santos ravine, located between Plaza de Europa and Avenida Marítima. This project encompasses reconstruction efforts. The works were declared an emergency on 1st July due to the threat of collapse, and are funded with a budget of €2.3 million, expected to be completed by August.
During this inspection, the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, emphasised that “these projects are crucial to ensure the safety of these bridges, as they are vital for the city’s mobility.”
Meanwhile, the Infrastructure Councillor, Javier Rivero, clarified that “the work is progressing well and focuses on reinforcing the most vulnerable sections of the bridges, particularly the pillars and supporting structures.” He further mentioned that starting in January, a new phase will commence, “which will involve the removal of the existing bridge situated between Plaza Europa and the skate park,” referring to the structure on Marítima Avenue utilised by vehicles. “Traffic diversions will be implemented, necessitating the removal of recreational equipment to initiate the extraction of the asphalt and covering of the current bridge. This is essential as we will be replacing it with new beams and a new deck to fully asphalt the entire surface.”
On another note, the Councillor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, underscored the importance of maintaining the bridges following the completion of repairs.
100% Sustainable Street
The visit also included inspections of the work being undertaken in the Maritime Park car park, associated with the initiative to create the first 100% sustainable street. It was noted that this project will be finalised before the close of the year. The undertaking involves the installation of a field with photovoltaic panels in the car park across nine canopy modules that will accommodate 180 parking spaces, along with the provision of six charging stations for vehicles.
As a result of this initiative, Francisco La Roche Avenue will become the first entirely sustainable street in the Canary Islands, as the solar panels will supply energy for public lighting and traffic signals along what is known as Anaga Avenue.
