This Monday, El Poble Nou de Benitatxell welcomed the President of the Diputación de Alicante, Toni Pérez, and the Roads Deputy, Arturo Poquet, who were able to see first-hand the traffic problems affecting the CV-740 as it passes through the municipality.
The mayor, Miguel Ángel García, various members of the municipal corporation, the head of the local police and council technicians welcomed the president and the councillor to the town hall. In the Plenary Hall, the provincial leader signed the Guest Book, after which a working meeting was held to discuss the possibilities of a future ring road to solve the unsustainable situation the town is experiencing due to the enormous volume of daily traffic.
During the graphic exhibition, visitors were able to observe the usual incidents that pedestrians, schoolchildren and drivers experience on a daily basis, especially in school, residential and commercial areas, where pavements are very narrow and the proximity of vehicles poses a constant risk. Highly dangerous situations in which people’s safety has been clearly compromised were also shown.
For their part, the engineers who developed the ring road project explained the route and all the details about the alternative locations where this bypass would run. They then travelled as a group to the CV-740 to observe the most critical points and view the suggested future sections on the ground.
The firm working on the project, Guía Consultores, estimates that the first phase of the diversion, which would tackle the problem of Padre Plácido, the most problematic section, will cost around €5.3 million. In addition, there would be two other phases, one for the entrance via Xàbia road and another for the Moraira section, the cost of which has not yet been specified.
The president of the Diputación, Toni Pérez, has stated that the Diputación does not usually finance projects of this magnitude, although he has shown himself to be open to studying all possibilities together with the deputy Arturo Poquet and the institution’s road engineers. The possibility of collaborating with other administrations to ensure that this project goes ahead was also raised at the meeting.
A unanimous demand
This project is an indisputable necessity for the municipality. This was made clear at the plenary session last October, when the three municipal groups — Més Benitatxell, REDcv and PP — voted unanimously in favour of requesting the necessary funding from the Diputación to carry out this ring road.
El Poble Nou de Benitatxell has been living with a complicated situation for decades that has become totally unsustainable. Currently, more than 33,000 vehicles pass through its town centre every day on provincial roads that act as transit routes between municipalities and cross school, residential and commercial areas. In July and August of this current year , nearly one million vehicles were recorded, but in September, October and November the figure did not drop significantly, standing at 850,000.
This traffic, which includes lorries with a high tonnage, runs through streets with very narrow sections that prevent vehicles and pedestrians from coexisting safely. The result is a permanent risk, regular congestion at rush hour, an urban division that splits the municipality as well as difficulties in providing emergency services. In addition, noise, pollution and road safety issues prevent the consolidation of quality public spaces.
The mayor has expressed the Council’s firm commitment to work hand in hand with the Diputación and other relevant authorities to ensure that this infrastructure, which is vital for the well-being and cohesion of the municipality, can be implemented as soon as possible. ‘This project is the result of municipal consensus and we want it to continue to move forward in collaboration with the Diputación and other administrations. Benitatxell needs this solution and we are fully committed to make it a reality as soon as possible,’ he said.