Orihuela Council has begun work on a new stormwater drainage network in Avenida Constitución, a project designed to reduce flooding in the neighbourhoods of Capuchinos, Espeñetas and San Francisco during periods of heavy rainfall.
Mayor Pepe Vegara presented the start of the works alongside Infrastructure Councillor Víctor Valverde and municipal project supervisor Pedro García. The contract has been awarded for almost €720,000 and forms part of a wider investment package worth around €3 million to improve drainage and lessen the impact of torrential rain in the area.
Although the project is named after Avenida Constitución, Valverde explained that the works include several interventions across the surrounding streets. These will collect rainwater and channel it towards the river, improving the overall drainage system. A future collector in Espeñetas, with an estimated investment of €1.5 million, will also gather water from the network and discharge it directly into the river.
Further planned measures include a €300,000 project to build small dams in ravines in the Sierra de San Miguel, helping to slow down rainwater before it reaches the urban centre. Additional drainage and sewerage improvements are also planned around Plaza de Santiago, where residents have long reported recurring problems during storms.
The current works have a four-month completion period, although the council hopes to finish by early September, ahead of the autumn rains. The project includes a new 250-metre collector in Avenida Constitución, another collector connected to Calle Espeñetas, new drainage points in Calle Barranco and Calle Espeñetas, and improvements around Plaza de Capuchinos.
Vegara said the works would significantly improve residents’ quality of life, adding that once completed, the neighbourhood would be better prepared for heavy rain and flooding.
