A poorly illuminated road, with tight curves, no sidewalks or shoulders, and a winding layout: that’s the insular road TF-21 providing access to the National Park of Teide and connecting eight neighbourhoods in the municipality of La Orotava. After a fifteen-year wait due to an unfinished project, the improvement of the stretch between Hacienda Perdida and Aguamansa is starting to become a reality. Today, the Tenerife Island Council signed an agreement with the La Orotava City Council to enhance the conditions of this nearly seven-kilometre section of the road. The agreement stipulates a contribution of 38.7 million Euros from the Island Council. Additionally, the La Orotava City Council will contribute 4 million Euros.
“This is the most significant investment that the Island council has made this year,” stated the President of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila. During the signing of the agreement this morning at the Noble Hall of the Council, she expressed her commitment to the northern municipality alongside Francisco Linares, Mayor of La Orotava; Vicente Pacheco, a neighbourhood representative, and 25 residents on behalf of the municipality.
The road spans 82 kilometres and crosses the Island from La Orotava to Granadilla. The focus of the agreement is on the seven kilometres passing through inhabited areas in La Orotava. An average of four thousand vehicles travel along this road daily under conditions that the residents of the northern municipality consider “very unsafe”. This stretch connects the urban areas of Barroso, Colombo, Cañeño and Camino de Chasna.
Despite being an important island road used by thousands of people daily, it lacks basic safety measures such as sidewalks, shoulders, or lighting. Therefore, the measures outlined in the agreement include: renewing horizontal and vertical road signs, improving bus stops, enhancing accessibility, installing public lighting, sanitation and telecommunications, rectifying geometric layout deficiencies to comply with regulations, and carrying out structural pavement rehabilitation.
“Fortunately, there have been no serious accidents during these years,” stated Francisco Linares, Mayor of La Orotava. He also mentioned the challenges faced by those using the road. Being familiar with it first-hand, he acknowledged the complex situations that drivers encounter, such as poor visibility.
Constant demands from residents
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The TF-21 is one of the three roads connecting to the Teide National Park, along with the eastern road, TF-24, starting from La Laguna to Portillo de la Villa, and TF-38, from Chío to Las Cañadas. The natural space attracts over four million tourists annually. Consequently, thousands of tourist buses travel along this island road each year. For regular drivers, this means having to pull over or perform complex manoeuvres, including reversing, to let these heavy vehicles pass.
Vicente Pacheco added that “residents have always been demanding improvements on this road”. He mentioned that there have been complaints from residents about vehicle breakages, the insecurity of driving on the road, and the proximity of schools in the area, endangering the safety of not only drivers but also pedestrians.
The Mayor believes that the absence of serious accidents has been “a matter of luck”. With the agreement signed today alongside the President of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila; the neighbourhood representative Vicente Pacheco, and 25 residents representing the municipality, he claims that this “luck” will come to an end. Instead, the road will enhance traffic safety by correcting the geometric elements of the layout and improving the pavement. This translates to creating sidewalks, shoulders, installing lighting, and better signage aimed at easing the unease experienced by the inhabitants of these eight neighbourhoods when driving or walking.
With the agreement now signed by both parties, residents are more optimistic about works that should have been completed fifteen years ago. Pacheco estimates that the work will commence within a year and a half and be completed by 2028.
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Rosa Dávila also took the opportunity to highlight that the agreement signing marks a historic day. “It is tremendously important for the island of Tenerife and undoubtedly, significant for the towns and neighbourhoods,” she concluded.
