Road project to improve access to ‘digital district’
Regional government gives thumbs up to scheme
A NEW road will be built to improve access to the Agua Amarga area in the south of Alicante city that is home to the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the regional government’s planned ‘digital district’.
The objective is to reduce traffic along the Avenida de Elche section of the N-332.
They will also address EUIPO directors’ concerns about emergency services response times in case of a disaster at its HQ or any of the other activities in the area which used to house the failed
Ciudad de la Luz film studios.
Currently all of the traffic to access the area comes from the Avenida de Jean-Claude Combaldieu junction on the N-332, resulting in serious congestion at busy times.
The new road would lead from the roundabout at the end of Calle del Cine, then follow the route of a country lane alongside the Agua Amarga watercourse to the A-79 access to the city, known as the Vía Parque.
This could reduce the number of vehicles using the Avenida de Elche by more than 4,000 per day.
Regional president Ximo Puig signed an agreement on Friday to collaborate with the provincial government, city hall and the EUIPO.
He was attending the EUIPO’s New Year cocktail event with many other personalities from the political, social and cultural scenes of the province. The other three institutions had already agreed to work together on the project in May last year.
Road closure proposal
Just to the south of this area, the ‘Saladar’ (salt marsh) road between Arenales del Sol in
Elche and Urbanova in Alicante should be closed to traffic and replaced with a ‘vía verde’ (green way) only for pedestrians and traffic, the regional government has suggested.
This is part of its PATIVEL coastal protection plan and has been sent to both city halls for consideration.
Elche town planning councillor Ana Arabid claimed it would significantly increase traffic on the N-332.
The council is to propose an alternative which does not restrict access to the beaches, with one lane for motor vehicles and another for pedestrians and cyclists.
She argued that Arenales and El Altet are well established and growing areas, and public transport to the beaches should be guaranteed.
Ecologists from the AHSA association supported the regional government’s proposal, noting that it would stop wildlife from getting run over.
However, residents of Arenales and El Altet are totally opposed, claiming it would lead to traffic jams on alternative routes and businesses closing in both areas.