The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) and the Ministry of Territorial Policy, has today authorized the signing of three agreements between Adif and the Government of Cantabria for the elimination of three steps at the level of the metric wide network in the region, with a global investment of just over 11.3 million euros (VAT included), financed equally by both administrations.
One of them is located in Pondra, in the municipality of Ramales de la Victoria, located at kilometric point 594/545 of the metric width line Santander-Bilbao - La Concordia. The solution for the suppression of this step will consist of the construction of an upper passage on the track that will give continuity to the CA-150 road, from Gibaja to Carranza. The budget for this action is 4,744,000 euros.
Another of them is located at kilometric point 4/709 of the line of metric width Orejo-Liérganes, in the municipality of Medio Cudeyo. In this case, the solution adopted is the construction of a variant of the CA-161 road from Plots to La Cavada and the execution of an upper step on the tracks. The investment in these jobs is estimated at 3,459,235.92 euros.
A final agreement establishes the abolition of the crossing at the level of kilometric point 464/207 of the line of metric width Oviedo-Santander, passing through the municipality of San Vicente de la Barquera. To this end, the reordering of the autonomous road CA-843 from Abanillas to Labarces will be executed, through the construction of a variant with upper passage on the tracks and a pedestrian walkway. The budget for this action is 3,104,882.78 euros.
The actions included in these agreements are framed in the protocol signed between Adif and the Government of Cantabria in August 2021 for the suppression of 15 steps at the level of shared ownership in the conventional railway network (Iberian width and metric width) as it passes through Cantabria. With the signing of the agreements, the cooperation framework is established to carry out the studies of suppression of these steps located on the roads of its ownership and of those necessary for the improvement of the transversal permeability to the railway line through roads of municipal ownership.
These actions contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Health and Welfare), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).