Canary Islands Government and Tenerife Island Council agree that building a third lane on the TF-5 motorway between Guamasa and Los Rodeos Airport in a downward direction towards Santa Cruz is “a priority to help improve traffic flow.” Minister Pablo Rodríguez mentioned that “we already have construction contracts on the island exceeding 400 million euros from the current Roads Agreement.” The most significant project in terms of funding is the completion of the island ring road with the Erjos tunnel, which exceeds 250 million.
Dávila remarked: “We have put forward this project, which is a top priority and amounts to 55 million euros.” The Government of Canary Islands has already submitted it to the Ministry for Ecological Transition for the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Rodríguez stated that “this year the focus is on prioritising the third lane in that section of the TF-5.” “It’s about expanding the road network,” he pointed out. He elaborated that this section is “not so complex” because “there aren’t too many properties to be acquired,” although “a bridge is affected, and also the airport itself, which requires an agreement with Aena.” Regardless of what the environmental impact assessment recommends regarding the palm grove in the area.
The other priority of the regional road department will be the construction of an additional lane in both directions between San Isidro and Oroteanda, continuing the works at the Las Chafiras interchange, which are nearing completion. “We are slightly ahead on the TF-1 compared to the TF-5,” noted the minister, “but these are the two priorities set more immediately.”
Rosa Dávila highlighted ongoing projects, such as the Erjos Tunnel, “the most important one for the Government of the Canary Islands at the moment due to its funding and complexity.” She also mentioned the Fañabé-Playa de Las Américas project – over a hundred million euros – or the one from Oroteanda to San Isidro, “which will improve mobility around the airport and we believe it can be tendered in this period,” she concluded.
Regarding the bypass road around La Laguna, a project that was nearly completed at the end of the last term, Rodríguez commented that it has not been officially accepted yet. “Once we have it, it will need to undergo inspection, and if it’s favourable, we can discuss that road.”
