The Minister of Public Works and Transport for the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez, announced on Thursday that the budget for the island’s closure project, which encompasses the Santiago del Teide-El Tanque segment, will be boosted by an additional €20 million alongside the second modification. This project aims to connect Tenerife from north to south and guarantees the inclusion of two lanes in each direction throughout the Erjos tunnel.
In response to an inquiry from the nationalist party during a parliamentary commission, he stated that this project is a “majority” undertaking of the road agreement, and indicated that the second modification, which will enhance the technical and environmental aspects of the project, is currently being drafted.
He noted that this processing was intended to be completed by the middle of last year but faced delays due to claims from one of the contracting consortia that participated in the bidding process. This issue was ultimately resolved through negotiations, involving compensation payment of nearly €14 million for the error in the contract award.
“This is a crucial initiative that will not require an environmental impact statement, which explains why its processing has been executed so smoothly,” he remarked.
Regarding the four-lane proposal, he mentioned that it was planned as an amendment within the project’s bidding process, “which is quite unusual”. Therefore, “before the conclusion of the project”, it will be incorporated once the relevant environmental impact declaration is processed.
“We felt more at ease because it is indeed challenging for the public to comprehend that such an extensive project is inaugurated, especially given the duration of its execution by the entity responsible. We then encountered a bottleneck at the tunnel exit and the connection with the ring road in the southern zone,” said Jonathan Martín, a deputy of the nationalist group.
According to the Canarian government, this initiative will enhance communication between the northern and southern parts of the island, with an anticipated reduction in congestion levels in the Santa Cruz metropolitan area – La Laguna, particularly on the TF-5.
