For many years, it has demanded improvements in access and mobility in general due to the fact that the sea waves that hit the Villa and the Port from time to time force Adolfo Suárez Avenue to be closed and traffic to be diverted through streets that are not prepared for it. Now, improving mobility is one of the requirements to continue being part of the Network of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain, the only one in Tenerife that has achieved this recognition.
Do you still think that an alternative to the Avenida Marítima is necessary?
“The Garachico Maritime Avenue is an insular road of general interest that allows access to the entire Baja Island and that generates more difficulties because maritime storms occur on an urban road through which thousands of vehicles pass daily, so closing it means a big problem because you have to divert traffic through interior streets that were not made to resist vehicles of these characteristics at the time. They are cobbled roads, very narrow and surrounded by historic buildings, without a foundation prepared to withstand the vibrations of passing trucks for so many years. Going through Garachico on those days takes a minimum of 20 minutes and there is no minimally reliable alternative to do it by hull”.
-Have you asked the administrations to condition the TF-82 as it is the most viable and fastest solution, at least for now?
“That is what we are asking for. I am aware that building a variant in Garachico is not easy but rather a complex work and that it also costs a lot of money. I understand that this alternative cannot be proposed until the Insular Ring is finished and the problem of the collapse in the TF-5 is resolved, that is why what I ask for are small actions, which we have located and can improve safety and fluidity of traffic. I am concerned about the access to the Insular Ring and from there to Isla Baja, which is done through the TF-421 and TF-82 with great difficulties for this municipality, Buenavista and Los Silos. We are not asking for new roads or crazy things about the environment, but rather to condition the current ones, with very dangerous curves and landslides but that people will continue to use because it is absurd that to access the Insular Ring you have to go to Buen Paso. It is important to sell this region and Garachico to tourism as one of the most beautiful in Spain, but we have to offer them adequate roads”.
Is the soccer field going to stay as a parking lot?
“It is classified as temporary parking. It is not ruled out that in the future it will have other types of uses but they will not be very different, because it is in the historic center, where it cannot be built and it is an area of free spaces because the sea can rise at any time. This would allow traffic to be closed on main streets. There are some very old ones, with protected facades, which were not previously built with a garage and their owners have to leave the car in the street. If you want to pedestrianize, alternatives must be offered to the residents who live there, that is, dissuasive parking. What we want is to remove cars from the historical complex so that people can live more peacefully, without so much pollution and noise”.
-What will happen to the early warning system?
“The storm of December 23 was not detected because a weather or maritime storm forecast system needs a couple of years to mature. Three weeks ago we had a telematic meeting with experts from the University of Cantabria, Gesplan, and they explained to us that they had not recorded the conditions that occurred that day and that is why the system did not detect that the sea could rise. Now they have been introduced and that is why if it happens again, it can be prevented. We hope that in the coming years reliability will be greater because that is what gives us security. Knowing what is going to happen in advance is important, because it allows us to organize ourselves and notify the companies, gas stations, Titsa, and the banana packers so that they try not to send large trucks that day because the highway is going to be closed. ”.
Speaking of banana packers, when does construction begin on the cultural center in the old FAST building?
“A report is missing. We are working on it because they asked us for a definitive report on Territorial Policy. We already have the one for Historical Heritage, which was the most cumbersome because in Garachico this Ministry has a lot to say. I hope it will be this year.”
