The road map for the development of the dual carriageway of the CV-95 between Orihuela and Torrevieja, which will be the result of a public-private collaboration model, has been presented by the Generalitat to the mayors of Vega Baja. The Generalitat anticipates allocating 180 million euros for this project.

In the meeting held in Torrevieja to explain this project, the Minister of Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus, confirmed that this action, “demanded for decades, will make it possible to reinforce the structure of the territory to provide infrastructure that improves capacity and road safety in the region.”

Furthermore, the head of Infrastructure has clarified that, despite the lengthy process, “the Council is dedicated to ensuring that the project is finalised by the end of the legislative session, the Environmental Impact Statement is approved, and the concession tender is in progress.”

Martínez Mus emphasised the significance of the action in enhancing the quality of life and mobility of citizens, particularly in light of the exponential growth in summer population, which rises from 370,000 inhabitants in winter to over 1.2 million during the summer.

Javier Sendra, the regional secretary of Infrastructure and Transport, and Mª José Martínez Ruzafa, the general director of Road Infrastructure, also witnessed the meeting. The minister stated that he endeavoured to “adjust the progress made thus far to the requirements of each municipality”.

Features of the project

The Generalitat’s proposal involves the construction of variants to facilitate the removal of traffic from the municipalities where the road travels (Orihuela, Bigastro, Jacarilla, and San Miguel de Salinas), as well as the doubling of the CV-95 from one lane to two in each direction.

26.5 kilometres of the CV-95 highway connect Orihuela to the coast of Torrevieja. It is a typical roadway that skirts or crosses numerous localities, with one traffic lane in each direction. This exacerbates the issues of road safety and capacity, particularly in the urban centres of Orihuela and Torrevieja, where the CV-95 is a mere street rather than an urbanisation.

Martínez Mus emphasised that the Generalitat has failed to plan essential infrastructure for the Valencian Community’s advancement over the past eight years. He also reassured the mayors of Vega Baja that “this Council remains dedicated to ensuring that this region is equipped with an axis that is well-integrated into the territory, safe, efficient, connected, and has future projections.”