Alex Trelinski
A MAJOR hurdle has been jumped in sorting out an infamous traffic bottleneck in Torrevieja following a positive environmental impact report.
The Ministry of Transport says plans to upgrade almost five kilometres of the N-332 to a dual-carriageway are moving forward to the next stage.
The budget has been increased to €55 million and will now go through a final draft process, advertising a construction contract, and a period of public consultation.
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No timeline has been given by the ministry, after it has taken six years to draft basic plans and go through the environmental impact process.
Last May, Transport Minister, Oscar Puente, did promise that tendering for the project would happen this year, but many people didn’t hold their breath after a succession of false dawns.
Campaigning has gone on for many years for the dual-carriageway update on a stretch of road that sees daily hold-ups with 40,000 users.
The situation gets even worse during the summer season with 50,000 cars and long delays lasting for up to 14 hours as the road cannot cope with the sheer volume of traffic.
Accidents are frequent, especially by motorists being surprised by queues after travelling at speed from the Orihuela Costa.
11 years ago, overtaking was banned by the DGT Traffic Authority due to the volume of incidents.
Three junctions will need to be updated on the section between the CV-95 turn for Torrevieja Hospital and the Avenida de Rosa Mazon Valero bridge.
Just one bridge will need replacing- that on the cemetery road- and changes will be needed to existing underpasses.
Sound-absorbing screens up to three metres tall to counter noise pollution will be erected along different sections totalling just over a kilometre of the N-332.
