N-332 bridge building in Madrid budget
CENTRAL government has included the long-awaited footbridge across the busy N332 at Calpe in its 2020 budget - a project seen as essential for the safety of pedestrians.
The town hall and residents of the Marina Alta resort have spent years lobbying for a footbridge to link the two sides of Calpe, dissected by the arterial main road, to reduce the dangers faced by pedestrians.
It would link the inland urbanisations of the Olta mountain, the much-visited beauty spot itself, and the railway station - the train is used by both tourists and commuters with the rest of the town. The crossing would also be suitable for people in wheelchairs.
Now the local authority has been assured the €1.3 million project is in the current central government budget; although it is not known if emergency spending over the coronavirus crisis will affect progress. The site is close to the southern Calpe junction on the N-332. There is an existing underpass for traffic but it is not wide enough to have a pavement for those on foot.
And the footbridge has a chequered history. It received a green light under then Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government but fell victim to political turmoil when the leader was toppled by a vote of no confidence.
Hopes were raised again in late 2018, when the Ministry of Public Works announced it had put the project out to tender and the bridge was scheduled to be completed the following year. Although it was being hailed as a 'historic milestone', nothing happened despite a ministerial 'promise' from Madrid.
Town hall consultant Carole Saunders has confirmed the local authority has been told the bridge is part of the 2020 budget in Madrid.¨
“The footbridge is not our responsibility at the town hall; anything to do with roads are all the responsibility of central government. We are told it is in the government’s budget for 2020,” she said.
She admitted the budget had yet to win official approval.
“The town hall has already purchased the land it will be built on from the owners.”
A similar crossing bridges the N-322 at Ondara, linking the commercial centre with the town.