The Cabildo de Tenerife asks the Government of the Canary Islands for funds to finance the third rail project between Guamasa and Los Rodeos, on the TF-5, after finding that the project amounts to 50 million and not eight as the previous Corporation had announced insular. “The previous president signed an agreement with the Government of the Canary Islands by which the Cabildo made this work its own for a value of eight million, when it costs 50 and has to be in the Highway agreement. We are in talks with the Government to find the formula to finance and execute the work”, explained yesterday the insular councilor for Highways, Enrique Arriaga, during the presentation of the budgets of the area for this 2022.
In this sense, the president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, added that “we will continue processing the entire administrative procedure, but it will be necessary to see how financing can be sought for something that the Cabildo once considered doing, although now it far exceeds the capacity what we have”.
Likewise, Arriaga criticized that it is said that the project was prepared since 2019, when it was “in the draft phase and it lacked sectoral reports from AENA”, which has been unlocked; and “there was no environmental impact study, it was prepared and at this time it is in the Ministry of Ecological Transition pending the issuance of the impact statement.”
Even so, he stated that he hopes that the works can begin “throughout this year”, pending this declaration and “a small modification in the Guamasa link”, since “that link will not only serve for this third lane but to give access to the ring road, with which it is completely remodeled, it is left out of this project and addressed by the Government”.
The Cabildo allocates this year to the Roads area a budget of 68,255,712 euros, which represents “an increase of 7% compared to last year,” explained the island president, of which 50.8 million will be dedicated to investments.
In addition, there are already 30.9 million in works awarded, such as the pedestrian walkway at the Padre Anchieta roundabout, the burying of the TF-24 upon arrival at said roundabout, which is expected to be completed in the summer; phase III of resurfacing in the TF-1 and TF-5 or the improvement of various intersections, in addition to the emergency ones that must be undertaken.
The most outstanding actions that will be carried out throughout this year, the councilor pointed out, are, among others, the urbanization of Calle de El Sol on the TF-226, in the municipality of El Rosario; the urbanization of the TF-180 between Vistabella and Cruz del Señor, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Travesía de Alcalá.
For his part, the insular director of Roads, Tomás Félix García, stressed that aside from all these actions, the maintenance and upkeep of the roads is a priority, for which the area will invest 21.6 million, almost tripling the investment in the three years.
Pedro Martín highlighted “the joint work” in this mandate with the Government of the Canary Islands, which has made it possible to unblock works such as the Chafiras-Oroteanda axis. Regarding the La Laguna beltway, or variant of the TF-5, he pointed out that “it is the intention, and the Government has communicated it to me, to be able to tender this work in this mandate. The problem is that we have not found a project to put out to tender, we have had to start practically from scratch”.
Questioned about the BUS-HOV lanes, Enrique Arriaga replied that “now the project for the BUS-HOV lane of the TF-1 between Güímar and Santa Cruz is being drafted, and we will shortly take the work of the lane between Las Chumberas and La Lagoon, ascending direction. The TF-5 project is currently pending a tender for its drafting”.
The counselor recalled that a BUS-HOV lane can only go on a road that “has at least three lanes”, so “when the third lane is between Guamasa and Los Rodeos, that is when it could start up” the HOV-BUS.
