How much is the total investment of the MOPT in the country’s roads and ports and what percentage corresponds to the Inter-American Development Bank? 

Investment in road infrastructure works currently amounts to USD 1.55 billion, mainly from the Exim Bank of China, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The amount of recourse for the latter is around 46% of the total investment. There are currently no significant investments in ports, although the Moín Container Terminal in the Caribbean has recently been put into operation.

What progress would you highlight regarding the PIT?

The commencement of operations of the improvement of National Route 160, between Playa Naranjo and Paquera, in April 2021, has meant a change in the mobility dynamics of the North Pacific peninsular area and has provided important support to tourist activity. Through the commencement order for the improvements of the ferry terminal in Puerto Paquera, the connectivity of several cantons and districts by land or sea to the rest of the country will also be improved. Finally, the execution of the Angostura project will further improve mobility to and from the peninsula.

Furthermore, we will soon put into operation the Limonal-Cañas section of National Route 1, with the widening of the Route 1 from two to four lanes. These works also have a very positive impact on national and international land connectivity.

What about new projects envisaged within the PIV-APP?

The PIV-APP is a programme that has public-private partnership (PPA) from various fields at its core. Firstly, the construction of interchanges and improvements of Taras-La Lima on National Route 2, which is located in one of the areas of greatest demand in the Greater Metropolitan Area and in a major hub for the development of industrial and technological activity, which is attracting national and international companies. With this work, which is part of a comprehensive project to improve National Route 2 from San José to Cartago, we will improve the three km of the entrance to the city of Cartago. This government contribution to a potential private initiative for the improvement of the entire road corridor generates greater confidence and lower fees, which would make the initiative socially viable.

On the other hand, there is the San José-San Ramón Corridor Trust Fund’s Non-Delayable Works (OBIS) package 4, which both in its dynamic benefits, as well as its structuring, shares many characteristics with what was outlined above regarding Taras-La Lima. It consists of the construction of five interchanges (San Ramón, Naranjo, Grecia, Río Segundo and Juan Pablo Segundo), which will complement other OBIS packages that constitute the government’s contribution to the comprehensive development of the Trust Fund and will help with the viability, confidence and social acceptance of the project, among other aspects.

Finally, this programme also includes a component of consultations and studies to support and strengthen institutions in the area of public-private partnerships (APPs).

The investment in the PIT brings nearly USD 270 million including major improvements to the Interamericana Norte, Costa Rica’s main land logistics corridor, where the carriageway will be doubled to four lanes along 70 km

Your country forms a key stage of the Pan-American Highway. Is there institutional collaboration on infrastructure connecting Panama and Nicaragua? If so, in which projects?

Both within the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) and the Mesoamerica Project, the development of two corridors (Pacific and Atlantic) and their interconnections, from Puebla, Mexico, to Panama City, has been contemplated.

The investment in the PIT contributes close to USD 270 million in infrastructure, improving the Route 1 from Barranca to Cañas -just over 70 km – doubling the roadway from two to four lanes, incorporating all modernisation and road safety features and meeting the highest design standards. This will improve vehicle operating costs and substantially reduce travel times.

In logistics studies developed by the IDB, based on Costa Rica’s National Transport Plan 2011-2035, it has been determined that the main land logistics corridor in Costa Rica is that which runs between the Greater Metropolitan Area and the Peñas Blancas border. The 70 kilometres being upgraded on the Route 1 are part of this corridor. 

Finally, within the scope of SIECA and the Mesoamerica Project, there is support and coordination between the different countries that belong to them. In the case of SIECA, the Central American region, and in the case of the Mesoamerica Project, from Mexico to Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

In the Mesoamerica Project, Costa Rica coordinates the Transport Commission and is supported by multilateral cooperation agencies.

In a country with such a wealth of fauna and biodiversity, how do you plan to reconcile works and extensions with the conservation of the different ecosystems?

All programmes under development, including road projects, have considered, from the study and design stagea, the identification of biological corridors. Where these interact with the roads being upgraded, ‘hot spots’ have been identified where wildlife overpasses or subways have been implemented. Considerations have also been taken to adapt the design of bridges, where required, as well as to protect riverbeds.

The terrain and the high levels of rainfall are conditioning factors for the construction of roads. What conclusions have you drawn from these years of experience? How does it affect construction and subsequent maintenance?

Indeed, although our country is not very large, it stands out for the richness of its diversity. Therefore, when carrying out projects, we frequently encounter unforeseen events, including geologically unstable areas that have created problems when disturbed due to water, weight or other factors.

The study of the New San Carlos Road is an example in which all the variables necessary for adequate design and risk management are included; and specialists from various fields have been brought in to look for ways to improve the conditions that were originally proposed for the road and which caused problems.

With regard to the management of rainfall conditions, design standards have been adopted in new works to enable requirements to be adequately scaled.  However, the operation and maintenance of the National Road Network remains a challenge due to the large number of roads that need to be upgraded. 

Work has been carried out to the highest quality standards, major challenges have been overcome and all the projects will create many benefits for the country’s inhabitants

Which projects are expected to be completed by 2022?

The improvement of the NR 1 between Limonal and Cañas and that of La Angostura, on the NR17.

And which project are you most satisfied with?

It is very difficult to choose one of the works. Work has been carried out to the highest quality standards, major challenges have been overcome and all the projects bring us closer and create many benefits for the country’s inhabitants. All of them have been defined for a decade in the National Transport Plan and are part of a roadmap to follow in order to be competitive. 

This plan includes various works on roads throughout the country, through public-private partnership models, alongside the Transport Infrastructure Programme (PIT) that Ineco has also been in charge of since 2016 and which has recently been extended until 2023. Both programmes have been financed with loans from the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), with an investment of USD 450 million and USD 125 million respectively, as well as a contribution of USD 53 million from the MOPT. The shared objective is to increase the country’s competitiveness by improving its road and port infrastructure, to reduce costs and travel times for people and goods, and to increase road safety.

For more than 15 years, Costa Rica has undertaken several programmes to improve its transport routes, a notable investment drive in infrastructures with which Ineco began to collaborate in 2004, participating in works such as the National Transport Plan, the modernisation of the airport network –with various improvements having also been carried out since then– and the research project for the implementation of a railway transport system in the metropolitan area of the capital, San José, which is now a reality. 

The Costa Rican government is making a major effort to improve the country’s infrastructure

The country’s geographical location means that the 660 kilometres long Inter-American Highway has become the backbone of the country’s road network. The Inter-American Highway is a huge 48,000 kilometres long route that runs the length of the continent from Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentina. The Costa Rican section of this road is of great importance for the internal mobility of people and goods. It enters the country through the northern town of Peñas Blancas and crosses the central part of the country through San José, a stretch known as Route 1, and from here it runs to the Panamanian border town of Paso Canoas, Route 2. The enlargement and improvements on both sections are therefore a matter of national interest.

The San Carlos Route, a key connection

Among the key works of the PIV-APP are those related to the San Carlos Route: they consist of the technical, economic, financial and environmental feasibility study, as well as the pre-design of National Route 35, the road to San Carlos along the Bernardo Soto-Florencia section. 

The new road linking National Route 1 (Bernardo Soto road) with the city of San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada and Florencia), is made up of four sections. The first is the intersection with National Route 1, the Bernardo Soto-Sifón (South end) road; the second, the Sifón-Abundancia section, (currently under construction with four lanes in the middle section); the third, Abundancia-Ciudad Quesada; and the fourth, Abundancia-Florencia. These last two sections have been constructed under the so-called ‘D+C’ (design plus construction) model, works financed through the IDB (PIV-I), which have already been completed and are in operation.

The PIT and the PIV-APP, in which Ineco is collaborating, are part of Costa Rica’s National Transport Plan 2011-2035

This road, in its entire length (taking into account the 4 sections), is designated as a priority corridor by both the Government of the Republic and other sectors, such as the so-called ‘Consensus Group for the Rescue of the National Road Network’. Its strategic importance lies in the fact that it connects the Central Plateau with a very important agricultural and productive area for the country, as well as being part of the International Network of Mesoamerican Highways (RICAM).

Route 17: The Angostura.

The implementation of the PIV-APP also seeks to contribute to the country’s competitiveness through the improvement and environmentally sustainable expansion of the High Capacity Road Network (RVAC) in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), which includes the conurbations of San José, Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia, in addition to supporting the development of road infrastructure projects through Public-Private Partnership (APP) models. The high rate of population growth and the deficit in infrastructure development contribute to road congestion, which particularly affects the Greater Metropolitan Area, where 70% of the population uses public transport. The programme aims to counteract environmental impacts, improve competitiveness and enhance the quality of life in this densely populated area of the Costa Rican capital.

Members of the Ineco team at the offices in San José, where the consultancy for the planning, coordination and administrative, technical, legal and environmental management of the Transport Infrastructure Programme (PIT), launched by the Costa Rican government, is being undertaken.

Historically, the planning and construction of roads has focused on cars and car-based mobility, and applied traffic-centred criteria such as capacity, speed, user comfort and safety. However, in recent years the integration of road infrastructure into the urban landscape, and attempts to minimise the impact on pedestrians, has given rise to new initiatives and an approach more in keeping with today’s world, in which environmental sustainability and quality of life for citizens takes precedence.

The integration of new roads with other, cleaner forms of mobility that are experiencing growth (e.g. cycling) requires a more congenial and human approach

The United Nations’ New Urban Agenda makes it clear that in order to improve sustainability, simultaneous progress is required in environmental, social and economic terms. In order to make a positive impact on our surroundings it is vital that these three elements are integrated with a holistic vision. Sustainable development must therefore proceed in parallel with economic development, the improvement of citizen well-being and ecological balance.

Making cities greener, more accessible, quieter and cleaner requires an approach to reform that is based on the analysis of multiple criteria. The integration of new roads with other, cleaner forms of mobility that are experiencing growth (e.g. cycling) requires a more congenial and human approach. However, transforming communication routes, which sometimes cut off and mutilate the urban environment, can be a complex challenge due to the fact that the existing infrastructure and buildings are themselves a constraint.

The study carried out by Ineco on a 1.4-km section of Avenida Alfonso Molina incorporates the construction of paths that will organise and provide solutions for the shared use of the road by drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Moreover, the humanisation of road margins in the urban environment makes it clearer to drivers that they are entering a new environment and should adapt their driving accordingly, e.g. by reducing their speed when they approach crossings and paying closer attention to their surroundings. This also helps to improve road safety in the urban environment.

The Spanish Urban Agenda identifies 10 primary goals which, in turn, involve the achievement of 30 specific objectives.

In recent years, and in line with the changing approach to the issue of roads in the urban environment, Ineco has been incorporating humanisation measures into the road-related projects that it carries out. Such considerations were taken into account when drawing up the construction plans for Improving the capacity of Avenida Alfonso Molina (highway AC-11), which comprises the main route of access into the city of A Coruña in north-west Spain.

Improvements to Avenida Alfonso Molina in A Coruña

The project’s main aim is to solve the congestion problems of a particular section of the road by increasing its capacity and improving connectivity, while at the same time improving the integration of the infrastructure into the urban environment and taking into account the key criteria of equal, fair and sustainable development as specified in the Urban Agenda.

The study proposes the incorporation of paths and walkways shared by pedestrians and cyclists, which would enable coexistence with the road’s vehicular traffic while ensuring adequate levels of road safety and permeability of the road margins.

The road was build in the mid-20th century and is wide, with three lanes in each direction and, in certain sections, a service road on either side. At its far north-western end the road ends at the port of A Coruña, almost at the entrance to the city’s old quarter.

The paths designed by Ineco allow for the segregation of vehicles and cyclists, unlike at present. / INFOGRAPHIC_MITMA

When it was built, the road passed through the rural population centres outside the city and provided a new link between the city and the countryside. Traditionally, transport routes had run parallel to the sea in the bay of A Coruña. Over time, other urban planning projects, such as the construction of residential buildings in Elviña and Barrio de las Flores and the industrial estates of Matogrande, Someso and Parque Ofimático, have increased traffic pressure in the area, as has the addition of traffic from the AP-9 highway.

The plan drawn up by Ineco focuses on a 1.4-km (approx.) section of Avenida Alfonso Molina that lies on the outskirts of the city, between Avenida San Cristóbal (AC-10) and the connections to highways AP-9 and AC-11. As stated above, the plan’s main aim is to solve the traffic problems for the section in question. According to the available data, in 2016 this section was used by 124,037 vehicles per day, of which 5.1% were heavy vehicles. Currently, this translates to a Level of Service (LOS) F while entering the city and LOS E while exiting. This results in regular traffic jams and hold-ups at peak times and during specific events, which in turn causes a large number of accidents of various types.

Elevation of the walkway to resolve the intersection of the pedestrian route above Avenida García Sabell at junction 2 (POCOMACO-Matogrande).

At present, large numbers of pedestrians use the road margins, owing to the presence of several shopping centres, hotels, residential buildings and bus stops. The plan incorporates the environmental adaptation of the road margins and the inclusion of paths enabling complete integration between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring they can all transit through the area in safety. Moreover, the walkway design ensures the permeability of the road infrastructure.

The aim is to increase the humanisation of the section by improving the transit process for pedestrians and cyclists, thereby enhancing their safety and transit experience. The plan also aims to provide both residents and passers-by with a more congenial and attractive environment through the use of physical, visual and acoustic separation. Generally speaking, it is a plan of an eminently urban nature, in which the concept of functionality takes precedence over mobility. The study sought to achieve a balance between the regulatory requirements and recommendations (including the Accessibility Code published by the government of Galicia’s ministry of Social Affairs and the document published by the Spanish ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (MITMA) on Accessibility in urban public spaces and developing viable solutions whose costs are not disproportionate.

The connection to pedestrian access points near the bus stops and walkways ensures transverse permeability throughout the entire section

Shared use of the road

Prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users and enabling them to interact with the road in harmony and safety, while providing a quality environment, is one of the priority aims of this action. The area in which the work will be carried out has a gentle gradient of around 5%.

Wherever possible, the paths have been designed with a different elevation to the AC-11 in order to provide a clear differentiation of uses and protect the path users. The plan has made efforts to adapt the road’s longitudinal section to the accessibility requirements, with maximum gradients of 8% and the placement of horizontal intermediate platforms to serve as rest areas where necessary.

The plan includes a review of the bus stops in order to ensure they remain connected to the road and the paths without any interference to or from pedestrians above the road.

A maximum width of five metres was established as a design criterion; however, this was not always possible owing to the fact that buildings and related installations limited the amount of space available on the road margins.

One of the design priorities was to ensure sufficient transverse permeability for the road by incorporating three new walkways and connecting the paths to the existing bus stops, whose design would be adapted in line with current standards with regard to the space required for bays and shelters to protect users.

The plan also takes into account the lighting of the paths and bus shelters, in order to enhance users’ comfort and safety.

Environmental and landscape restoration

Plan of the landscape integration measures for the section of road between the AC-11 and the AC-14.

One of the project’s central aims is to increase the humanisation of this particular section of Avenida Alfonso Molina by improving the transit process for pedestrians and cyclists in their designated zones, thereby enhancing their safety and transit experience. To achieve this, we have physically, visually and acoustically separated the vehicular traffic from the new path and garden areas, in order to provide residents and passers-by with an environment that is more congenial and attractive.

With regard to landscape integration, we have identified 12 zones on the right-hand margin and nine on the left-hand margin where work will be carried out. The selection of species to plant in the garden requires a prior analysis of climatic conditions, the aesthetic and design approach that is to be followed (factors such as colour, leaf fall, texture, appearance, etc.), shade requirements, and references from other areas on Avenida Alfonso Molina where gardens have already been planted, as well as an analysis of the requirements specified by A Coruña Council with regard to:

• Specific requirements of the species chosen.
• Resistance to climatic conditions: water requirements, exposure to sunlight, wind resistance.
• Resistance to environmental conditions: urban pollution, suitable geographical location and altitude.
• Ecological and physiological characteristics: soil properties, texture, moisture, growth rate and longevity, transplanting period and level of difficulty, disease and pest resistance.
• Landscape characteristics and other factors of interest owing to their functional utility: suitability regarding the combination of species; criteria related to colour and seasonal variation; suitability for creating or improving the acoustic conditions of the urban environment; suitability as providers of shade; considerations regarding the production of fruit and seeds and interference in paved areas.

As the area is highly anthropised, the project is not expected to have any significant impact on the existing fauna (wood pigeons, swallows, blackbirds, sparrows and mice).

Likewise, the existing historical and artistic heritage has been respected and none of the current architectural elements (hórreos –traditional raised granaries–, the Seat building, the Coca-Cola factory and the church of San Vicenzo de Elviña) will be directly affected by the project.

The new 14-kilometer section of the A-68 highway between the Zaragoza towns of Figueruelas and Gallur entered service on March 23, with an official act in which the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and the government of Aragon participated.

The project, drawn up by Ineco for the Demarcación de Carreteras de Aragón, consisted of doubling the carriageway and upgrading the layout of the N-232 road to convert it into a high-capacity road. The section accommodates daily traffic of 13,000 vehicles, of which more than 50% are heavy vehicles, and will add to the 28 kilometres of highway already in service between Zaragoza and Figueruelas. When work on the next section, up to Mallén, is completed towards the end of 2022, an axis of more than 80 kilometres of highway will be completed from Zaragoza to Alfaro, in La Rioja.

On 24 March 1999, at around 11 a.m., a refrigerated lorry carrying 9 tonnes of margarine and 12 tonnes of flour began to burn inside the Montblanc tunnel. About 2 kilometres from the Italian entrance, when the smoke was already thick, the driver stops the lorry in the central area of the tunnel, approximately 6 kilometres from the Italian entrance and 6 kilometres from the French entrance. Within seconds, the lorry explodes. Because it’s a bi-directional tunnel, a queue of vehicles forms on both sides of the burning vehicle. Alarms are activated and the tunnel is closed to traffic in both directions, but 25 vehicles with 39 people inside are already stopped or driving towards the burning lorry from the French side. The smoke is heading towards the French entrance. In barely half an hour, the smoke travelled the 6 km distance and exited through the French entrance, partly aided by the mechanical ventilation that was activated by workers on the Italian side.

Several rescue attempts are made, but all are unsuccessful. The fire lasts for 53 hours. Once the blaze had been put out, firefighters entered the tunnel and, sadly, found 39 victims. All had died in the first stages of the fire due to smoke inhalation.

Two years later, on 24 October 2001, there was a collision between two lorries inside the Gotthard Tunnel, which links Italy and Switzerland beneath the Alps. A few minutes after the collision, a large fire breaks out and temperatures inside the tunnel exceed 1,000°C. The fire burns for 20 hours and causes part of the tunnel to collapse. When rescue services enter, they find 11 victims.

The company has also carried out other work such as risk assessments for 42 tunnels located on the Trans-European Network

Safety requirements in Spain

Following these accidents, the European Commission decided to draft legislation on safety measures in road tunnels for all its Member States. Therefore, on 29 April 2004, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Directive 2004/54/EC on minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network.

Although this directive applies only to tunnels located on the Trans-European road network, when transposed into Spanish law by Royal Decree 635/2006, of 26 May, on minimum safety requirements in State road tunnels, no distinction was made between tunnels located on the Trans-European Network and other tunnels, in the belief that they should all have a similar level of safety. The royal decree also increases European safety requirements, so that all tunnels currently operating on Spanish roads are affected by the regulation in one way or another.

In 2016, the Directorate-General for Roads entrusted Ineco with the drafting of the first projects, which included the development of the Tunnel Adaptation Plan as the first assignment. There are a total of 354 tunnels on Spanish roads, of which 41 are on the toll road network and another three belong to the first-generation highways, all of which are managed under concession contracts. The remaining 310 belong to the network managed directly by the Directorate-General for Roads.

Following an analysis of the equipment of these 310 underground tunnels, it was concluded that 118 already meet the minimum safety requirements set out in the Royal Decree, and therefore the remaining 192 tunnels require attention. Of these, 90 are located on the Trans-European Network and 102 on other state roads.

Work on the 192 tunnels, which are being brought into line with European regulations, is expected to be completed in 2026. / PHOTO_INECO

Among other works, Ineco has drafted 22 adaptation projects, which include a wide variety of actions: road signalling, the installation of traffic lights, variable messaging panels, road surface improvement treatment, ventilation, upgrading of SCADA, CCTV and DAI, environmental control systems, fire protection systems, radio communications, public address systems, electrical installation, toxic liquid drainage, new emergency galleries, waterproofing and soundproofing improvements.

A further 21 projects were awarded in three lots to different consultancy firms. Ineco also provides support to the MITMA (Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda) in the drafting of tender specifications, bid evaluation and the preparation and review of study orders and subsequent modifications. As the Adaptation Plan progresses, some projects are being sub-divided in order to accelerate the tendering of tunnels falling within the scope of European Directive 2004/54/EC (tunnels longer than 500 metres located in the Trans-European Network).

In April 2021, Ineco began a new project to bring the Xeresa and Mascarat tunnels into line with the royal decree. Of the 53 tunnel projects on the road network managed directly by the State, Ineco is in charge of 32, involving a total of 104 tunnels.

The company has also carried out other work over the years, such as risk assessments for 42 of these Trans-European Network infrastructures. The objective was to assess, in accordance with the Ministry’s Risk Analysis Methodology, whether these tunnels could be classified as safe, or whether any additional measures were required. Once the improvements have been implemented, all of these can now be considered safe, on the basis of this methodology.

Two new tasks have been added to Ineco’s activities in the Tunnel Plan, which is scheduled to last until November 2022. Firstly, the control and monitoring of some of the works and secondly, the drafting of a plan to improve energy efficiency in the lighting of tunnels on the state network.

The work to upgrade the 192 tunnels is expected to be completed in 2026, after a major investment of more than 500 million euros. Once completed, the time may be right for a new plan, with the aim of converting the tunnels into smart infrastructures, thanks to new technologies and materials, connecting them to future autonomous vehicles, which, together with 5G, will become a reality in the next few years.

Work on Phase IV of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ring road is progressing at a good pace: after 14 years of work and several interruptions in its execution, the main section of Phase IV is scheduled for completion in 2021. The construction of this phase of the highway, which includes the Tamaraceite-Tenoya-Arucas-Costa section, will connect Phase I with the GC-2 regional highway, linking the island’s capital with the inland municipality of Arucas and providing dual access from the northeast to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Phase IV of this highway is part of the road agreement signed in the 1990s between the government of the Canary Islands and the former Ministry of Public Works. Its conclusion will mean the completion of the Las Palmas ring road, which was started in 1997, which will relieve traffic congestion in the city, and also improve accessibility, providing a dual entrance to the north-eastern access.

The Government of the Canary Islands estimates that approximately 60,000 vehicles will use the new stretch of road every day

The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the government of the Canary Islands estimates that some 60,000 vehicles will use the new section every day, which will reduce traffic congestion at key points in the city such as Plaza de América, the Julio Luengo tunnels and the Torre Las Palmas interchange, improving traffic in the vicinity of the capital, with a reduction in travel distances, waiting times and the resulting pollution, a positive effect already noted after the partial opening of a new section of Phase IV in 2016 as far as the Semi-interchange-2 in the municipality of Arucas.

Ineco engineer Víctor Manuel Camino, head of the unit for Phase IV of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ring road, supervising a construction site in the municipality of Arucas. / PHOTO_UTE ARUCAS

In addition to the technical difficulties inherent to a linear project running between ravines and mountains, there are also those inherent to a semi-urban environment. All this, together with the economic crises experienced in recent years, has delayed the construction of this highway and has also meant an arduous technical task owing to several changes in the types of the interchanges and the construction of pedestrian walkways requested by local residents. These changes, which were not planned in the original project drawn up in the 1990s, made it possible to adapt the project to the demands of the island residents over the years, with the total budget for the works exceeding 125 million euros.

The Arucas joint venture, in which Ineco and Grusamar each have a 50% stake, is providing technical assistance for the monitoring and supervision of the works on the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ring road, specifically Phase IV of the Tamaraceite-Tenoya-Arucas-Costa section. With a budget of more than 6 million euros, the contract includes, among other activities, the analysis of the work in its updated environment; an analysis of the impact on areas of potential archaeological interest or those affecting historical heritage; the status of expropriations; a study of the repositioning of rights of way; a study and monitoring of road safety; work quality control; health and safety; and the drafting of the necessary alternatives or modifications to the original project.

The latest modifications include several changes to the types of interchanges and the construction of pedestrian walkways requested by local residents

A route through ravines

The route of the main section of the highway, with a total length of 7,350 metres, starts at the intersection of the GC-3 (Phase I of the Las Palmas ring road) with the GC-21 (Teror-Tamaraceite) and will end at the interchange between the GC-2, the GC-20 (Arucas-Costa) and the GC-3. Construction works in Phase IV have affected more than 500 properties in the municipalities of Arucas and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

From its start at the Tamaraceite interchange, where the two branches connecting with the future highway are aligned, the route winds for 850 metres following the existing GC-21, heading in a north-westerly direction and running between Mesas Bajas and Tenoya, where interchange 1 (KM 1+490) is located, giving access to both towns. From this point onwards, the terrain becomes more rugged and the Barranquillo de Tenoya (KM 1+800) is crossed by a 150-metre-long viaduct (1.7), the Barranco de Tenoya (KM 2+400) with another 520-metre-long viaduct (2.1), the Lomo Grande through a cut (KM 2+725) and the Barranquillo de la Dehesa (KM 3+300) by means of a 380-metre-long viaduct (3.1).

After this ravine, the route passes through the area known as La Herradura on an embankment, where Semi-interchange-2 has been built at KM 3+800, which provides access to the villages of Cardones and Santidad.

The Arucas joint venture, in which Ineco and Grusamar each have a 50% stake, is providing technical assistance for the monitoring and supervision of the works

After passing this interchange, the highway runs along a slight cut 250 metres long until it reaches the Barranco de Arucas ravine, which is crossed by means of a 150-metre-long viaduct at a maximum height of 45 metres above the bottom of the ravine (4.1). At this point, the route turns in the northerly direction, running to the east of the town of Arucas, and at KM 4+400 it passes interchange 3, which gives access to the town via the GC-20. After passing the interchange, the route runs along a cut parallel to the left-hand side of the GC-20. The P.S.-5.6 overpass is planned at the interchange of the GC-301 road with the highway, which will connect the villages of Cardones and Trasmontaña with the GC-20.

The viaduct over the Barranco de Tenoya, with a total length of 528 metres and a height of over 120 metres. PHOTO_VÍCTOR CAMINO

For the final 1,200 metres, the route continues to run on a cut parallel to the GC-20 until it connects with the GC-2 road at KM 7+350, where the last interchange of the project, Semi-interchange-5, is located which, in combination with the existing interchange, allows all the movements of the aforementioned road with the planned highway.

The completion of work on the last section of the Guadalajara-Colima highway modernisation marks a new milestone in a project whose comprehensive supervision has been carried out by Ineco since 2011, a task which includes its management, monitoring, supervision, maintenance and renovation through 2025. The improvements to the new operating model which Banobras, the National Bank for Public Works and Services, began to apply for the first time on this highway, and subsequently on others throughout the country, are ensuring that the service provided achieves a high level of satisfaction among users and a reduction in the number of accidents.

The extension of this highway, with a capacity of more than 35,000 vehicle transits per day, is a major step forward for the economic development of the region. Built in 1983, it is part of the important Manzanillo-Tampico road axis, a strategic commercial route. Its 148 kilometres facilitate the connection with Manzanillo, the main port of the Mexican Pacific coast, from which more than 75% of the goods leave by road.

INECO’S MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM. The company currently has a multidisciplinary team of more than 24 people between Guadalajara and Mexico City, in addition to support staff. / PHOTO_INECO-INECOMEX

Administration and supervision for 14 years

Ineco heads a group of Mexican and Spanish companies and will complete nine years as the Supervising Administrator Agent (AAS) on the Guadalajara-Colima highway in 2020. These works are part of the contract that Banobras awarded to the Spanish company in 2011, with a duration of 14 years. Banobras is the Federal government’s financial institution for financing infrastructure, including private sector participation.

The contract includes support for the contracting of the maintenance-rehabilitation agents and the operator of the section; the monitoring and control of the operation and maintenance work carried out by these agents; the management of the expansion, modernisation and major maintenance work carried out since 2011; the review of the projects and topographical control; as well as different supervisory works.

SHORTER TRAVEL TIME. The construction of seven bridges on the mountainous-volcanic axis reduces the travel time from Guadalajara to Manzanillo by 40 minutes. / PHOTO_INECO-INECOMEX

Key points for improvement

1. More bridges, tollbooths and lanes. Since the start of the contract in 2011, Ineco has participated in the supervision of the modernisation work on the highway section, with an investment by Banobras of more than 6 billion Mexican pesos. The work includes the modernisation and construction of new junctions, the extension of the section from 2 to 4 lanes over more than 56 kilometres, the construction of new tollbooths and the extension of up to 6 lanes in the end section.

2. A new quality-based model. The Guadalajara-Colima highway was one of the first test sections for the implementation of this new operating model. Ineco, as an administrator, participated in the definition of the performance indicators. This ensures that the highway is operated in accordance with quality standards. The highway’s activity is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in order to detect incidents, provide support during accidents and evaluate and report on the status of the road network.

3. More control, more vehicles, more revenue. The opening of new tollbooths and the installation of modern toll monitoring systems have allowed a greater control over capacity and revenue, which has led to a reduction in revenue losses and an increase in the highway’s overall revenue by an annual average of 6%. According to the Mexican government, a total capacity of 14.2 million was recorded from 1 January to 31 December 2019. It is worth noting that within the first three years, with the implementation of the new model, revenues from electronic media increased from 134,121 dollars in 2014 to more than 5.2 million dollars (116 million Mexican pesos) in 2017. Thanks to traffic counting and classification systems, in addition to the smart management systems associated with ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), it is possible to know the number of vehicles currently travelling at any given point. This enables the AAS and Banobras to plan the highway efficiently in the long term and to guarantee optimum conditions for the installed elements.

4. A modern electronic toll system. Mexico’s road network is one of the busiest in the world, requiring the development an electronic toll system to accurately monitor revenue and record all transactions electronically. This system, promoted by Banobras, makes it possible to eliminate the use of cash, which translates into safer and more efficient collection.

5. Improved road safety. In order to reduce accidents on the highway and to detect accident accumulation zones, road safety inspections are carried out every two years. In order to guarantee free-flow and safe traffic and a better knowledge of the condition of the road, risks are analysed and evaluated and improvements are proposed by analysing and identifying the elements that can be improved. The highway has multiple ITS systems such as traffic cameras, SOS posts, variable information signs, weather data collection, etc.

6. 24-hour service for users. The highway offers 24-hour customer service year round, as well as suggestion boxes, information panels and communication centres. In addition, online resources such as email, social networks and the operator’s website have been made available to customers. The AAS, as part of its highway surveillance service, ensures the correct state of the public services installed on the highway section. A new management system has also been implemented to protect information and minimise information loss. In the past, no such computerised backup was available and there was a heavy reliance on physical reports.

Ineco has been awarded the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems.

The award acknowledges the company’s ground-breaking work in Spain in the development of GIS (Geographic Information System) technology thanks to the integration of the BIM methodology into a GIS environment to develop a virtual 3D model of the future A-76 Ponferrada-Ourense Highway, for the Spanish General Directorate of Roads.

Every year, different projects around the world in different fields are recognised for demonstrating their capacity for innovation and good use of GIS in solving a variety of problems. (More information here).

Cintra, the Spanish company that, as part of the RiverLinx consortium, has been selected by Transport for London (TfL) to manage the Silvertown Tunnel, has contracted the Ineco and RPS consortium as an independent certifier throughout the design and construction process. The new tunnel will be the first piece of infrastructure to be built to cross the Thames since 1991, and will increase the transport supply in this area of the river sixfold.

RiverLinx, formed by Aberdeen Standard, BAM PPP, Cintra, Macquarie Capital and SK E&C will manage the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the tunnel. The £1 billion contract includes the design of two 1.4 kilometre long twin road tunnels under the Thames and 0.6 kilometres of access ramps.

Last December the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, José Luis Ábalos, opened an 8.1 kilometre stretch of Seville’s ring road, the SE-40, between the A-376 in Alcalá de Guadaíra and the A-4 in Dos Hermanas, which will be 77.6 kilometres long in total. Also in December, the El Torbiscal interchange (Utrera, Seville) became operational, at the crossroad of the N-4 road with the A-471, a point that produced congestion, especially in summer.

Ineco participated in both projects: for the SE-40 section, it supervised the construction projects; it carried out health and safety coordination and road safety audits and environmental monitoring, as it also did for the new El Torbiscal Interchange, for which it also drafted the project and provided support for mandatory purchases. Some of the more important environmental integration measures required in this project included the replacement of the Cañada Real de la Armada cattle route, the installation of acoustic screens and archaeological monitoring: two Roman necropolises with 63 burial sites were found.