Cash to repair coastline
€1.5 million for Alicante but Murcia region misses out on aid
A TOTAL of €1.5 million has been allocated by the Spanish government to repair the serious damage caused to the beaches and the coast of Alicante province by Storm Gloria in December.
The storm produced gale force winds, waves over eight metres high and flooding right along the Mediterranean coastline. The aim is to have the beaches ready for April, when thousands of national and international tourists come to spend the Easter holidays.
The government has allocated €4.4 million to the Balearic Islands region, €5.75 million to Cataluña and €8.1 million to Valencia region, but no funds for Murcia region, even though president Sánchez visited the area by helicopter (pictured) to see the destruction for himself.
Serious damage was recorded along Murcia's beaches facing the Mediterranean Sea at San Pedro del Pinatar, La Manga and Cartagena; the towns around the Mar Menor were flooded again and the runoff water spilled huge amounts of chemicals and mud into the inland sea.
In the south Costa Blanca, from Guardamar del Segura to Pilar de la Horadada, the beaches had already been badly damaged by dramatic floods in September and the repairs for this had not even started when Gloria wrought more havoc.
According to the ministry for environmental transition (formerly the environment), the work will involve putting sand on the beaches; repairing promenades, access to the beaches and jetties; restoring sand dunes; and removing rubbish and canes from the coast.
This will be undertaken in Denia, Jávea, Benitachel, Teulada, Calpe, Altea, Alfás del Pi, Villajoyosa, El Campello, Elche, Guardamar, Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa and Pilar de la Horadada.
In Denia, debris and waste are to be removed; new sand put on Les Deveses beach; several works carried out on Les Rotes beach; the viewpoint at the seafront Marineta Casiana is to be moved back; and the accesses to the beaches are to be repaired.
In Jávea, the wall at Cala Blanca is to be removed and the mouth of the River Gorgos to be cleaned of canes.
In Benitachell, the access to Cala Moraig will be moved back and repaired; in Teulada the wall at l’Ampolla beach will be repaired; and in Calpe several beaches will be restored and debris removed.
In Altea, the accesses to the beaches and the jetties will be repaired; and various reconstruction jobs are planned on Alfás del Pi’s wall at Albir and Bol Nou in Villajoyosa.
In El Campello, the wall of the promenade at Rincón de la Zofra is to be repaired and in Elche and Guardamar the wooden walkways are to be replaced. Several reconstruction works are planned for Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada, where the beaches will also get new sand.
In Orihuela Costa the wall and staircase of the promenade at Cabo Roig is to be repaired and debris removed.