The government delegate in Galicia, José Miñones, certified today in Pontedeume (A Coruña) how the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan allows progress in sustainable mobility between the municipalities of Pontedeume and Cabanas and in improving road safety and the people who travel the English Way to Compostela.
José Miñones presented today the project to improve the bridge located in the N-651, between the municipalities of Pontedeume and Cabanas, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda with an investment of 8.3 million euros from the Government Recovery Plan. In this event he was accompanied by the mayors of Pontedeume, Bernardo Fernández, and of Cabanas, Carlos Ladra, and by the subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas.
This action is part of the investments that the Recovery Plan dedicates to improving the safety conditions of vulnerable users in the State Road Network. José Miñones highlighted how this work exemplifies the central position that people have in this government plan: “In 2022 alone, more than 24,000 pilgrims and pilgrims crossed this bridge.”
Regarding the immediate future of the project, José Miñones announced that the Ministry of Transport is preparing to contract the project, since the project is approved and already incorporated the contributions of local and regional administrations, including the Heritage department.
In his speech, the delegate stressed how, once again, the Government of Pedro Sánchez complies with the province of A Coruña and its communications. “This Government is showing that it is betting on A Coruña,” he said, detailing that this year’s General State Budget appropriates more than 297 million euros from the Ministry of Transport “to continue adding in the province of A Coruña.” Regarding roads, José Miñones recalled that A Coruña becomes the fourth province in Spain in terms of surface investment: “We are talking about 91 million euros for this year, 25% more than the amount appropriated last year.”
Project data
The bridge over the river Eume, from the 19th century, currently supports very intense traffic, both road and pedestrian, being also part of the itinerary of the English Way to Santiago de Compostela. Every day, 10,000 vehicles travel along this stretch, amounting to 15,000 during the summer.
The infrastructure presents a triple problem. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the foundation conditions of the bridge. To this end, the work will improve the support stratum through columns of Jet Grouting that will be executed from the current roadway of the bridge.
On the other hand, the current platform of the bridge is narrow and the arrangement of the elements on it (lighting poles, railing, signage, etc.) It does not facilitate pedestrian traffic in ideal conditions of accessibility and safety. For this reason, a new board will be available, wider than the current one, which allows to have wider sidewalks, as well as a vehicle containment element, new lighting and handrails, as well as a new drainage system.
Finally, in the elevations (stone masonry) of the bridge, the necessary cleaning work will be undertaken as well as the reconstruction of the masonry, reunion and protection treatments.