The old viaduct, located on the Rambla de Lo Quiles and a regular transit point for cars between Orihuela and Torrevieja, was at serious risk of collapse after cracks were detected
The detour around San Miguel de Salinas is over although for motorists driving to Orihuela, should they wish to take it, the route around the town is still in place. However, the Generalitat has successfully completed the load tests and has now reopened the CV-95 bridge. This infrastructure had to be repaired as an emergency after significant cracks were detected in the pillars of the old viaduct.
The Minister for the Environment, Infrastructure and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus, visited the results of the works on Monday. The new bridge consists of two spans of 25 metres each, traversed by prefabricated girders with a 1.5 metre edge, supported on abutments and a central pier. The roadway consists of two lanes of 3.5 metres width and shoulders of 2.5 and 1.5 metres.
The Generalitat was forced to urgently process these works, costing 2,689,301 euros, following the complaint submitted by the San Miguel Arcángel Residents’ Association. During the visual inspections carried out by the road surveillance teams, the regional administration detected “a deterioration of the bridge, with subsidence of the road surface and undermining of pillars, among other aspects.” They acknowledged that it was a more than evident danger at a crossing point for hundreds of cars that circulate daily between Orihuela and Torrevieja.
While the work was being carried out the Generalitat established a temporary detour along Calle Solozabal to the O’Neill bar roundabout and, from there, along Ronda Oeste until it links up again with the CV-95, through the unfinished SUS-A urban development, currently under construction.
“This new bridge represents a significant advance in driver mobility and guarantees a safe crossing for drivers. We are thus fulfilling our commitment to act quickly and urgently to offer safer and more lasting solutions,” said Minister Martínez Mus.
