The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, today put the works of the External Variant of Ourense as the best example of how the government of Pedro Sánchez acts, with works and investments, to recover the time lost in high speed in Galicia. “We are the Government that brought the AVE to Galicia and we are the Government that is improving the infrastructures associated with this line,” he said, while recalling that it was the Government of Pedro Sánchez that is promoting the renovation of the train stations of the main Galician cities, including Ourense, which is in contracting, and that is taking the necessary steps to modernize the Galician railway network and adapt it to the new demands of high speed.
The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, accompanied by the general director of Construction of Adif, Juan Pablo Villanueva, supervised on Wednesday the works of the first two sections of the Exterior Variant of Ourense, which represent an investment of 125.5 million euros. In particular, the delegate checked the progress of the Rante tunnel and the viaduct over the Barbaña River and Nacional 525, which are the most significant infrastructures of this new line, almost 8 kilometers long in double track. He also said that the entry into service of these two sections will have an immediate effect on the travel time, which will be reduced by 4 minutes.
Pedro Blanco explained that the projects of the other sections of the variant are under review to adapt them to the news of security regulations and current prices and ensure that the contracting has the maximum guarantees.
Description of the works
The new infrastructure will extend the high-speed platform from Taboadela (with double electrified track in standard width), replacing and improving the parameters of the current route of access to Ourense to Seixalbo, which will benefit the railway connections between Galicia and the peninsular center. Thus, it will reduce travel times and increase the capacity and regularity of the line, by having double track.
Taboadela-Rante Tunnel section (5.6 km)
It runs through the municipal districts of Taboadela and San Cibrao das Viñas. The Rante tunnel is the most important work of the stretch: it is a single-tube tunnel for double track, 3,410 m long (61% of the total stretch) and 85 m2 of section. Due to its length, three intermediate emergency exits are foreseen through transverse galleries of 185, 463 and 322 m, with direct exit to the outside, allowing the connection of the same with the existing road network and the provision of relief and rescue areas with a minimum surface of 500 m2. In addition, the section includes the viaducts on the river Mesón de Calvos (387 m), the stream of Sano Benito (108 m) and the river Taboadela (24.5 m).
To this day, the foundations of the Mesón de Calvos viaduct are under execution and progress is made in excavation and maintenance from the south and north mouths of the Rante Tunnel, as well as the transversal gallery No. 2, which will also be used as an intermediate attack gallery, allowing the opening of two new excavation fronts in the tunnel and optimizing execution times. The tracing, the structure of the Taboadela viaduct, and the docks and access roads to the two mouths of the Rante Tunnel and its emergency gallery No. 2 have already been dismantled, cleared and removed from the plant soil.
Section Rante-Seixalbo Connection Tunnel (2.2 km)
It runs through the municipal terms of San Cibrao das Viñas and Ourense, resolving the passage of the LAV in the environment of Seixalbo, parallel to the current railway corridor of the Zamora-Ourense line as much as possible, in order to minimize the fondness to the environment. At the beginning of the stretch, a 356 m long viaduct is executed to save the crossing with the N-525 road and the Barbaña river, increasing comfort by establishing optimal rolling and tracing conditions.
The new platform will run over the Aspera tunnel (153.9 m in length), of the conventional Zamora-Ourense line. A three hole viaduct (54 m) will save the O-105 road and the replacement of the Camino de Santiago/Vía de la Plata. Another viaduct, in this case of a single 30 m road, will solve the crossing at different levels with the future Bemposta – N-525 road.
The stretch ends about 100 m before the existing Corruxeiras tunnel on the Zamora-Ourense road. The works will also include the construction of a lower passage of road, as well as the replacements of servitude and services affected.
Currently, work is being done on the viaduct on the N-525 road and the Barbaña River (executed by 75% enzyme), on the reinforcement of the passage over the Aspera tunnel and on the construction of the viaducts on the Bemposta and O-105 roads. In addition, there are movements of lands, landings, embankments, the canalization of the Seixalbo River under the LAV and the conventional line, and the replacement of affected services in the area of Santa Águeda. As elements of interest already executed it is worth highlighting two lower steps for the crossing of the Camino de Santiago.
European funding
This action has European funding through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEU.