San Miguel bridge reopens to traffic after 6 months of work
Thousands of drivers on the Orihuela-Torrevieja road faced a daily 2km detour
The long-awaited reopening of the San Miguel de Salinas bridge over the Lo Quiles ravine has finally arrived, bringing relief to the thousands of drivers who have been navigating a 2 kilometre detour on the Orihuela-Torrevieja road for six months.
The new CV-95 bridge, which was officially opened to traffic on Monday morning, October 7, is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, which was cordoned off in a hurry when technicians realised it was close to collapse.
The 2.7 million euro project was awarded to Pavasal on an emergency basis so that it could commence as quickly as possible.Regional Minister for the Environment, Infrastructure and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus, attended the opening ceremony and highlighted the importance of the new infrastructure.
“This bridge represents a significant advance in mobility for citizens and guarantees safe access for drivers. We are fulfilling our commitment to act quickly and urgently to offer safer and more lasting solutions,” he said.
The project was prompted by a report from the San Miguel Arcángel Residents' Association, which had raised concerns about the bridge's state to the Generalitat Valenciana. Although the local government team reportedly didn’t respond to the report, the Generalitat took swift action to address the issue.
The new bridge is just one part of a larger investment plan for the Vega Baja region, which includes more than 17 million euros in infrastructure projects.
According to Mr Martínez Mus, this investment plan “represents an act of equality and justice towards this area of Alicante, and that not only focuses on improving infrastructure, but also on guaranteeing a decent quality of life for all its inhabitants.”During his visit to San Miguel de Salinas, the minister also announced several other significant investments in the region, including a 168,000-euro project to add extra lanes to the CV-95 between Torrevieja Hospital and the N-332 and a 13.1 million euro investment to build a new water sanitation station in Almoradí and improvements to treatment plants in several municipalities.
Around 1.5 million will be spent on fixing dozens of sections of regional roads in the Vega Baja and Baix Vinalopó and, crucially, plans are in place to widen the N-332, which currently supports almost 60,000 vehicles per day during the summer months
The government has also turned its attention to improving public transport. Two renovated bus corridors will be launched during this legislative period, serving 1.1 million inhabitants of 32 municipalities in the south of Alicante.
The Consell, Mr Martínez Mus said, “is committed to the well-being of the Vega Baja, prioritising strategic investments that favour the quality of life of its citizens and the sustainable development of the region.”
Images: Generalitat Valenciana
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