The Regional Minister for Development, Territorial Planning and Housing, Rocío Díaz, has made a technical visit to the works on the section of the Almanzora Dual Carriageway that connects the Almanzora Dual Carriageway with the Mediterranean Dual Carriageway (A-7) in the province of Almería. The councillor checked the progress of the works, which are focused on the construction of the connecting branches of the junction between the two motorways and the completion of the 83-metre-long structure over the A-7, which is in need of paving and signalling.
Rocío Díaz also witnessed a unique operation such as the raising of an old structure on the A-7 in order to increase the existing gauge by half a metre to reach a height of 5.5 metres. This intervention is a condition set by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to authorise the Andalusian Regional Government to build the link between the two motorways, one, the Almanzora, owned by the regional government and the other, the A-7, owned by the central government.
The operation, which began yesterday morning with an estimated duration of 24 hours, consists of raising the structure with hydraulic jacks supported by turrets specifically designed for this purpose, which raise the deck to the required height, and then replace the support devices on the abutments and piles with new ones that have been raised. Finally, the structure is lowered until it rests on the new elements. Given that the structure is structurally semi-continuous, it was necessary to simultaneously raise the four spans, which together have a length of nearly 65 metres.
These works form part of a 3.6-kilometre section of the Almanzora Highway (A-334) that runs from the El Cucador junction to the A-7. The works, which are being carried out by the joint venture formed by the construction companies San José, Eiffage and Pérez Jiménez, cost 24 million euros and are 80% complete. Along the route, two new junctions will be built at the beginning and end of the section, as well as a 45-metre viaduct over the Barranco del Muerto ravine.
The Councillor was accompanied on the visit by the Andalusian Government delegate in Almería, Aránzazu Martín; and the territorial delegate for Public Works in the province, Carmen Belén López.
