The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Highways area, will intervene from the 25th of this month on the access bridge to El Tablado and Escobonal from the regional interest road TF-1, in the municipality of Güímar. During the two months that the works last, important work will be carried out to improve the structure of this constructive element and guarantee the safety of the users who use it on a daily basis in the face of the significant deterioration it presents. For this, a budget of 250,000 euros has been allocated.
The First Vice President and Minister of Highways, Enrique Arriaga, explains that “the conditions of the area, which has significant winds and proximity to the sea, have contributed to the bridge suffering a high state of corrosion.” That is why, he adds, “it needs to be repaired and reinforced immediately.”
In addition, Arriaga points out “that the action will be used to cover the bridge and prevent climatic erosion in the future from threatening it again.” And he anticipates that the works will be carried out at night to minimize inconvenience to users and interference with traffic on this section of the road through which an average of 50,000 vehicles circulate daily.
As of Sunday night, the 25th, three towers will begin to be placed, one in the center of the pile that supports the bridge deck and the others on its sides, with the aim of freeing up the weight and to ensure safety during repair. First, the deteriorated concrete will be minced and the bridge reinforcement will be cleaned to remove all traces of rust.
Once the concrete and its corresponding cracks have been repaired, the cement-based membrane will be shaped to waterproof the structure to protect it from future oxidation. To this end, products that slow down the rate of corrosion of the reinforcement without altering its properties will also be applied.
The Island Director of Roads, Tomás García, assures that “the objective of this project is to increase the useful life of the structure and prevent possible structural problems that may arise in the future”. He explains that “preventive work is as necessary as repair work, since it is the only way to avoid major problems over time.”
Road Maintenance regularly carries out inspections and checks at key points on the different island roads.
