Costa cliff path peril
The recent heavy rain has left the promenade on the verge of collapse
ORIHUELA Costa residents are demanding action to mend a treacherous section of the cliffside path to La Caleta beach, which has gone unrepaired for 18 months.
Landslides caused by the September 2019 storms left a hole in the pavement which a woman fell through the following month, explained residents’ association AVOCA.
Although she was hospitalised, fortunately her injuries were not worse because shrubs on the cliffside broke her fall.
AVOCA noted that mayor Emilio Bacuñana came to see the damage in July 2020 and told an interview with TV Vega Baja he had not known about the problem and would assign councillor for infrastructure Ángel Noguera to repair it urgently.
The following day, the area that had fallen away was propped up, a provisional wooden walkway was laid across the hole and the path was closed to pedestrians as it was still not safe.
However, the lack of subsequent action and the recent heavy rain have left the promenade on the verge of collapsing, as several of the prop bars
have given way.
Rocks, stones and earth have fallen onto the ground below, which was cordoned off on Tuesday morning by the council’s road maintenance contractors.
AVOCA has written to the mayor and the councillor, warning them that if nothing is done and somebody else gets hurt, ‘we will hold Orihuela town hall responsible’.
Sr Noguera replied to Costa Blanca News that as soon as the path was damaged in September 2019, it was ‘examined immediately’ by the municipal technician assigned to the coast.
He said the technician got three quotes, based on which he proposed, on January 7, 2020, that the repairs should be contracted out at a cost of €36,295.
The councillor argued that instead of hiring another company, the work should come under the general contract for maintenance of roads and public spaces in Orihuela Costa, which had recently been awarded and was due to come into effect from February 1, 2020.
He highlighted that the contract specifically assumes responsibility for ‘maintenance, conservation and repairs’ of public areas ‘for the passage of pedestrians as well as vehicles’, and specifically includes ‘paved spaces integrated into the periphery of beaches, promenades…’.
Sr Noguera insisted the concessionary company should do the job with their own personnel and materials, ‘apart from construction materials and other equipment which are not included in the contract, e.g. renting a special crane for the terrain if necessary’. He noted that extra spending of €3,442 had been approved in July 2020 to prop up the affected section.
On February 8 this year, the infrastructure department sent a report outlining the company’s responsibilities to the technician, who went on sick leave a few days later, so the councillor has now asked the replacement technician to deal with the matter.
“The only reason for the delay has been the different interpretation of the contract by the technician and the councillor, who wanted to ensure that they did not pay twice for something which the maintenance company was contracted to do,” he added.