The pedestrian walkway Father Anchieta in La Laguna is now expected to be completed in September rather than during April or May, as was originally intended, due to “technical circumstances” that have impacted the assembly and production of components, as confirmed by the Minister of Roads, Dámaso Arteaga, on Friday.
Furthermore, responding to an inquiry from the Mixed Group (VOX), Minister Arteaga stated that “due to challenges in the production and transportation” of the components, it is “likely” that the completion date will face further delays, which was initially set for 30 April 2025.
Just prior to this reply, the Vox Minister Ana Salazar had urged the Insular Government Group (CC and PP) for “transparency”, citing the “ongoing delays” of a project that “commenced in November 2021” and where the completion timeline remains uncertain due to discrepancies among “various press releases.”
“We are dealing with a project of significant complexity, where technical conditions have arisen requiring our attention, alongside the timelines that this entails… Overall, we estimate that the work will be concluded at the start of the 2025/26 academic year, which translates to September,” explained Arteaga.
The Cabildo Roads Minister defended this postponement by noting that in Spain, “75% of construction projects encounter challenges and delays arising from numerous factors.” He added, in this instance, “we had planned to transport the components two at a time, and this was determined by the shipping company.”
He continued to address other influencing factors, such as weather conditions, since, on the mainland where the components are produced, it is essential to “wait for work windows” and “only under optimal conditions” can the modules be painted. Additionally, tidal conditions have further contributed to holdups in the project, as the vessel must arrive during “high tide to permit the operations.”
In summary, Arteaga concluded, “there are various factors affecting the transport and production of these modules that are causing us to postpone the completion date of the works.” Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the Father Anchieta walkway “would become a reality, as soon as possible,” with its completion in September.
