A master plan will set out the future of a major public site beside the CV-905, including a bus terminal, depot, commercial space and other facilities.
Torrevieja City Council has revived plans for a new bus station, allocating €200,000 to prepare a master plan and preliminary design for a major area of public land between La Torreta and the CV-905.
The project, led by the council’s Heritage Department, will establish the overall layout of Enclave 13, a site designated for facilities under the city’s General Urban Development Plan, known as the PGOU.
The council is preparing to award the design contract, funded through a budget amendment approved at September’s ordinary plenary meeting. The work will define the proposed transport infrastructure, associated services and commercial uses, alongside land reserved for privately operated facilities.
The wider site covers more than 73,500 square metres, of which approximately 44,000 square metres belong to the council. It also includes existing buildings, among them a service station and the fire station beside the CV-905.
Plans for the terminal were announced at the beginning of the current council term, with the expectation that the project would be processed and put out to tender before 2027. The forthcoming design contract represents the first significant administrative step. Even on an optimistic timetable, tendering and construction could extend into 2028.
Long-standing demand for better facilities
A new bus station has long been sought by the council and the thousands of passengers who use Torrevieja’s intercity services.
The existing station, beside Calle Antonio Machado and the Colonia San Esteban neighbourhood, occupies premises belonging to the former Costa Azul operator. Its poor facilities and difficult access have attracted criticism, particularly during the busy summer months, when the station provides many visitors with their first impression of the city.
The council considers the proposed location suitable because of its links to the main road network and the need to accommodate Torrevieja’s substantial demand for intercity transport.
More than a bus terminal
The master plan will establish how the land should be organised, while the preliminary design will outline the future station building. Further planning, infrastructure and construction projects will then be required before work can begin.
The Heritage Department, headed by councillor Domingo Paredes, will oversee the process. Its chief architect has been appointed to manage the technical documentation needed to advance the scheme.
Municipal documents call for a development that meets the city’s present and future needs, improves its appearance and provides additional services for residents. They also seek a coherent layout and architecture of high aesthetic and conceptual quality.
The proposal extends beyond the terminal itself. Associated services and commercial premises are expected to operate under concession arrangements, helping to finance the development and reduce the burden on municipal funds.
An initial outline prepared in 2024 included a bus depot and workshops, commercial space, a headquarters for the local Civil Protection group and a substantial parking area. It also identified potential sites for private healthcare and educational facilities.
The outline reserved space for a possible future restoration of Torrevieja’s rail connection. However, this remains unlikely in the short or medium term and would pose considerable technical challenges so close to the city centre.
Land already cost more than €7 million
The site lies near the “flamingo” roundabout and the Carrefour and Ozone shopping areas. Much of the open land currently accommodates temporary activities, principally circuses, with municipal permission.
Although construction has yet to begin, acquiring the land has already required a substantial public investment. Around a decade ago, the council paid more than €7 million to expropriate a significant portion from its private owners.
The land was designated for public facilities during the 2000 revision of the PGOU under then-mayor Pedro Hernández Mateo, despite remaining privately owned at that time. A subsequent amendment in 2008 allowed private facilities on approximately 17,000 square metres of the site.
Avanza awaiting depot site
The council must also make part of the land available to bus operator Avanza for a new depot and workshops, as required under the terms of the city’s bus service contract.
Avanza currently operates parking and refuelling facilities on Avenida Delfina Viudes. The movement of buses through nearby residential streets causes daily disruption, particularly at the beginning and end of services, when as many as 30 vehicles can gather there.
The operator remains bound by the contract’s deadlines but depends on the council providing the land needed to fulfil them. The new depot will also require suitable refuelling and charging infrastructure for its fleet, including hybrid and electric buses.
Avanza has already indicated that it is waiting for the site to become available.
