The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, advanced today that the lower step of the new link of “Sol y Mar” will be open to circulation this month of December. This was announced today during a visit to the works of this connection in which he was accompanied by the subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, and the mayor of Oleiros, Angel García Seoane. In his tour of the work, the delegate confirmed the next commissioning of the underground passage as well as the completion, during the first half of 2024, of the works associated with the urbanization of the upper level.
Pedro Blanco described the remodelling of the “Sun and Sea” link in the AC-12 as a “key work to favor the permeability of the metropolitan area of A Coruña” while substantially improving the quality of life of the neighborhood and the companies in this environment. In addition, he pointed out that the new link “allows us to face with tranquility other projects of great magnitude: the expansion of the Ponte Pasaxe and the remodeling of the Avenida de Alfonso Molina”. Projects totalling 72 million euros, which “this Government took out of the drawer to transform the communication of A Coruña and its environment” and which are proof of the commitment of the Ministry of Transport and its minister, Raquel Sánchez, with the urban agenda corresponding to the metropolitan area of A Coruña.
“We are betting on a new management of our roads and we work for a sustainable, safe and connected mobility,” said Pedro Blanco, who added that “in four years we doubled the investments in roads, with 777 million invested in Galicia, of which 259 million are destined for this province of A Coruña.”
New link in “Sun and Sea”
The new link will replace the current intersection of the “Sun and Sea” located in the vicinity of kilometric point 5,200 of the AC-12 road in Perillo (Oleiros), which is one of the main accesses of the city of A Coruña and has a high traffic intensity (50,000 vehicles/day approximately in the construction area and up to 90,000 vehicles/day in the Ponte de la Pasaxe), which is especially relevant both in peak hours and in the summer period.
In addition, this intersection has an important demand for pedestrian crossings so the action will significantly improve road safety, the functionality of the AC-12 road and the level of service of traffic access to the city of A Coruña and its metropolitan area of short, medium and long distance, also reducing the environmental hobbies of road traffic on the adjacent urban environment.
Pedro Blanco recalled that the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) allocates this action 10.5 million euros and stressed that, in the construction of these, most local and regional companies participate, being the U.T.Y. Adjudicator of the works composed by the Galician companies: Civis Global, S.L., Extraco, S.A. and Mixtures S.A.
Good example to do
The government delegate pointed out that the work of “Sol y Mar” was and is “an example of good work in public works”, since the execution was agreed with the other administrations, with total transparency to the neighbors directly affected and to the citizens, without resorting at any time to cut the road and guaranteeing mobility in the area.
Thus, the construction procedure of the infrastructure was designed so that it was possible to maintain this circulation at all times, through at least one lane per direction of circulation, minimizing traffic hobbies. In this respect, it is worth highlighting the significant improvement in traffic experienced with the transfer of traffic from the AC-174 road to the AC-12 road through As Garridas Street, since an exclusive lane of the AC-12 is dedicated to the incorporation of this movement. The Ministry found, on a daily basis and in real time through the use of Big Data technology, that the maximum delays in peak hours did not exceed 5 minutes. This way of working was extended to the urban services affected by the works, which maintained their functionality at all times, as is the case of the pedestrian itineraries on both margins of the AC-12, as well as access to homes, garages and commercial premises, which were not interrupted.
In the execution of the works, the collaboration with the City of Oleiros stands out, as well as that of the General Directorate of Traffic, the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard and that of all the municipalities of the metropolitan area (A Coruña, Cambre and Culleredo), in which the authorization of the diversion of works and alternative itineraries refers.
Despite the important constraints described, MITMA managed to execute 820 piles in 6 months, using 2 large pilotators, as well as materialize the upper slab of the new link by placing almost 200 prefabricated concrete beams in 10 working days.
Current job status
The works that are pending completion to enable the lower passage to be put into service are the execution of the reinforced concrete lower slab, which will guarantee the sealing of the excavated enclosure, the completion of the drainage system by means of the implantation of the pumping equipment, the affirmation of the work, the installation of cladding of the screen walls and various final works of signaling, marking, defense and lighting of the lower passage.
The execution of these works will not modify the current phase of diversion and hobbies to traffic motivated by the execution of the works, currently resulting in the circulation of traffic through the side branches of the new link of the AC-12 road.
These branches are 3 meters wide in their stricter cross-sections, so the circulation of special transports was restricted by this section of the road AC-12 in works, being enabled as an alternative for the circulation of the same the road AP-9 in its toll free section. En todo caso, los desvíos e itinerarios alternativos se mantienen debidamente señalizados. Once the lower pass of the new link is enabled, the Ministry will face the actions of urbanization and aesthetic and landscape integration of the upper level on a new space of more than 3,000 m2 that will significantly improve the permeability and pedestrian recreation through the appearance of new humanized and landscaped areas.
Technical Features
The new link is a diamond-like link with a superior roundabout. The length of the projected performance is 0.6 km. At this point, the central part of the AC-12 will run buried between walls screen of drying piles, which will allow to house on the upper level of the link a surface gazebo that will resolve the movements between the Avenida de las Mariñas and the AC-174 (Rúa Areal).
The buried section of the AC-12 will feature 2-lane roadways for each direction of travel, separated by a rigid vehicle containment system. The two margins of the new AC-12 road grade will be the link branches, which in turn will act as service routes for access to the adjoining properties.
The project also includes the replacement of all the affected urban services as well as the execution of various actions of aesthetic and landscape integration of the environment of the upper level of the intersection, improving the pedestrian permeability in the road environment and significantly reducing the environmental hobbies of the infrastructure.