Orihuela finally hires a firm to design the long-promised link over the AP-7 — after years of calling it a “priority.”
After what feels like an eternity of political promises, priorities, and public impatience, the Orihuela City Council has finally awarded the contract for drafting the long-awaited project for a cycle and pedestrian bridge over the AP-7 motorway.
As the structure takes a step forward it will one day—hopefully sooner rather than later—connect Lomas de Cabo Roig with the San Miguel road via Calle Creus.
The firm, Anta Ingeniería Civil S.L.P., will be responsible for drawing up the project, with a modest €72,600 budget (VAT included) and a two-month deadline from the official start date. The company has pledged to expand its technical team, adding a civil engineer and an environmental science specialist, presumably to ensure the bridge exists in both solid and sustainable form.
Urban Planning Councillor Matías Ruiz hailed the decision as “an important step forward towards a safe and sustainable connection between residential areas and the main road network, promoting pedestrian and cyclist mobility in Orihuela Costa.” But where has he been for the last 20 years?
This “important step forward” is, of course, just the design phase. Still, it marks progress—however leisurely—toward a bridge that’s been highlighted for years as a “top priority” for residents. Once complete, it should provide a safer way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the AP-7 and improve the long-promised connectivity between coastal developments.
Now all that’s left is to wait for the next milestone: the project’s actual construction. But after this long, is there anyone who is really counting the years anymore?
