The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has put into service the humanization work of a 3-kilometer stretch of the N-232A road as it passes through Tirgo, in La Rioja. In total, 1,092,982 euros (VAT included) have been invested in adapting the road to the transit of pedestrians, reducing space to the private vehicle, improving its integration in the urban space.
The delegate of the Government in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, has traveled to Tirgo to visit together with the mayor of the town, Juan María Ruiz, the humanization of this crossing, financed with European funds NextGenerationEU, within the Plan of Recovery, Transformation and Resilience.
Arraiz Nalda explained that the objective of this humanization of the crossing is to promote active and sustainable mobility, reinforce road safety and contribute to improving air quality in the municipality. “We achieve a more accessible, inclusive and sustainable environment, improving air quality through the decarbonization of urban mobility,” he added.
The work, carried out between km 455 and 458, consisted of reducing the width of the lanes in the urban section to calm traffic and achieve a greater surface on sidewalks, which have been equipped with corks with trees and benches, to favor pedestrian mobility.
In addition, the movement of heavy vehicles in an area of the crossing has been banned to improve pedestrian safety and air quality and the life of Tirgo’s neighbours.
Likewise, the actions have included the rehabilitation of the bridge over the River Tirón, allowing a safe passage of pedestrians between the margins of the river and under the structure.
Technical performance characteristics
The largest performances are concentrated in the urban area, between km 456,350 and 456,860, where two areas are distinguished:
- Zone 1, with urban traffic, but coexisting with the traffic contributed by the LR-201; between 456,350 and 456,620 (LR-201). It is proposed to reduce the width of the lanes to 3.25m in order to achieve both a greater surface area on sidewalks, which favors the mobility of pedestrians, and to calm traffic. On the sidewalks will be placed corks with medium-sized trees and benches.
- Zone 2, with almost exclusively urban traffic; between 456,620 and 456,860. In this stretch, it is proposed to reduce the platform until it leaves a track width of 3.10m. The pavement for the circulation of vehicles and the sidewalks in this area will be located at the same level, giving a more urban aspect and prioritizing the mobility of pedestrians over vehicles. The vehicle floor will consist of polished concrete, diamond and surface grouting to leave the arid visible, and trees, benches and trash cans will be placed to give a more human appearance. After the work has been carried out, the movement of heavy vehicles in this area will be prohibited.
For its part, the firm has been rehabilitated in the interurban areas.
After the construction of the Tirgo Variant, the N-232 road that ran within its municipal term was renamed N-232A and lost its functionality within the State Road Network. Therefore, this humanization of the crossing implies the cession of this to the City of Tirgo, passing this to be the new responsible for its conservation and maintenance as the owner of the track.
This action has been financed from the Next Generation EU funds, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which plans to invest 105 million euros (VAT not included) in humanization actions of crossings, such as that of Tirgo.
The objective of this program is to generate, in the State Road Network in urban areas, a more accessible, inclusive and sustainable environment that helps decarbonize urban mobility and improve air quality.