Bilbao has been promising for a long time a subfluvial tunnel that runs under the Nervión, connecting both banks to be able to cross it in a few minutes. This would alleviate one of the biggest bottlenecks in Euskadi. The good news is that The works will start this summer.
A problem that has been unsolved for decades. The Rontegi bridge supports nearly 175,000 vehicles a day and has become the main road bottleneck in Bizkaia. Crossing from one bank to the other of the Nervión estuary without passing through that point requires a detour of more than 13 kilometers. This causes chronic traffic jams, a considerable loss of time and ends up generating more emissions.
The solution that had been on the table for decades (and that is now finally beginning to materialize) is a subfluvial tunnel that pierces the bed of the Nervión and directly connects the Right Bank with the Left Bank.
What exactly is going to be built. The subfluvial will be 3.2 kilometers long and will be made up of two independent tubes (one in each direction of travel), each with two lanes and safety shoulders. It will link the Artaza roundabout, between Leioa and Getxo, with Ballonti, between Portugalete and Sestao.
Just like they count from El Correo, the project will also include connections with La Avanzada, the Uribe Kosta corridor and the Getxo neighborhood of Zugazarte. The intention with the project is that in a journey that today can exceed fifteen minutes during rush houris reduced to just four. The effective distance will go from about 13 kilometers surrounding the estuary to just four. Heavy vehicles must pay a toll to use it, as occurs on other roads in Bizkaia.
A technical challenge. The most demanding section will require drilling up to 45 meters below the river bed, crossing quite geologically sensitive materials. The Lamiako area, with its sandy terrain, is one of the most delicate points of the entire route. The project will use the cut and cover technique, which involves excavating from the surface, installing side retaining walls and then covering the infrastructure to generate a false underground tunnel.
According to The Mailthe works will begin in Artaza, the access on the Right Bank and also the most delicate environment of the project, as it is made up of areas with a high residential density, and a school and institute nearby. More than 80 controlled microblasts will be used and it is expected that the Artaza park will be partially emptied. To minimize the impact and disturb neighbors as little as possible, open-air work will be limited to daytime and working hours. Of course, within the galleries, drilling will be done in continuous shifts, 24 hours a day.
Figures. The work has quite an important magnitude, to be honest. According to data from the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the execution of the subfluvial will involve excavating 1.8 million cubic meters of earth and use more than 21,000 tons of steel. About 170 trucks will circulate every day to remove the extracted material (90 through the mouth of Artaza and 80 through Ballonti), whose destination will be the facilities of the Port of Bilbao, where the earth will be used to fill dikes.
How the project is progressing and how much it will cost. The Provincial Council has already awarded two of the four major contracts into which the work is divided. As shared by El Correo, the Artaza junction will be executed by the UTE formed by Ferrovial, Construcciones Mariezcurrena and Cycasa, while the section to the Lamiako plain will be assumed by Nortúnel, Geotunel and Tunelan. Both contracts total 277 million euros (without VAT) and have an expected duration of 60 months.
The Left Bank contracts (Ballonti access and riverbed drilling) will be awarded later. The total investment in the project is expected to be around 540 million euros, with a view to completing the work by 2032.
Emissions and neighborhood controversy. The Provincial Council defends that the subfluvial will reduce polluting emissions thanks to shorter and more fluid routes, with an estimated annual saving of 6,000 tons of CO₂ and two million liters of fuel. However, the project It has generated quite a bit of discussion among the neighbors.. And various neighborhood and environmental platforms criticize the prioritization of road traffic in the midst of the climate transition.
They also remember that the initial project contemplated a rail connection with Bilbao Metro stations such as Areeta and Sestao, something that ended up disappearing in the final project. This train was, precisely, one of the City Council’s main arguments in terms of sustainability. Artaza residents also express concern about noise, vibrations from blasting and truck traffic during years of construction. The Provincial Council has promised permanent controls, prior technical inspections in nearby buildings and a citizen service office throughout the execution.
Cover image | Minube and Bizkaia.eus
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