The delegate of Development, Territorial Articulation and Housing, Dolores Martínez, has visited the area of the A-349 highway in which the improvement work that was being carried out after the landslides of part of the slopes, caused after the last episodes of intense rains, which occurred during May 19 to 23, 2023 in the municipalities of Tahal, Macael and Olula del Río.
Martínez Utrera explained that “the damage consisted of several important landslides of the road slopes that caused the occupation of the road, shoulders, berms and ditches, in addition, the runoff action of a large mass of water caused the breakage of the road. drainage works, several sections of longitudinal ditches and foundation slabs for transversal drainage works.”
The works, awarded to the company Construcciones Nila for an amount of €739,952.39, began on May 25, 2023. Action has had to be taken on several slopes of the A-349 highway in order to achieve its stability. Work has been done at station 30+900 right and left margin, station 30+950 right margin, station 32+150 right margin station 32+750 right margin, station 33+050 right margin, station 34+700 left margin, station 35 +350 left margin, PK 35+400 left margin, PK 36+000 left margin and the PK 45+110 left margin.
This is work in which earthworks have been carried out, for which purpose the cleaning and removal of the dislodged material has been carried out, as well as the cleaning of the surface of the slope and the execution of berms that improve the angle of inclination of the slope and its weight discharge.
In order to stabilize part of the slope, a hanging triple twist metal mesh of the 8×10/16 type has been installed, as well as a “Trinter” type volumetric geogrid, to retain fine particles, brown in color, reinforcing the entire assembly. with 12 mm diameter horizontal cables, anchored to the ground using “Gewi” 25 type bolts up to 3 m deep. At station 32+150 right bank and at station 35+400 left bank, as well as at station 45+110 MI, at the access to Macael.
In order to prevent large stones and bowling balls, a dynamic barrier has been installed with an energy absorption capacity of 1,000 KJ, a 4-meter net height and a separation of posts every 10 meters. At station 30+900 right margin. Up to three breakwater walls have been built to stabilize the behavior of the slopes.
In addition, repairs have been carried out to functional elements of the road damaged by the action of the storm, such as the existing concrete slab under the road bridge at KP 10+850, which has had to be repaired in part and works at PK 6+900 AM, TM of Tabernas, breakwaters and ditches, occurred while the works were being carried out.
Likewise, in the area between the access to Macael and the bridge over the Almanzora River, in Olula del Río, the reopening of gutters has been carried out, through the demolition and removal of the existing ones, as well as partial filling of the material missing in the left margin. On the right bank, concreting of ditches in the first section (from the area from where the flood of water came), with a width of 2 m leading to an ODT and a fall directly to the existing ravine, before the service station. The other two sections have also been repaired with concrete, forming another cascade and a breakwater at KP 45+450, to protect the road embankment.
The delegate has concluded that “these works have allowed the recovery of normality on a road that has a high intensity of vehicle traffic, as well as heavy trucks, as it is located in an important industrial area of the province.”
