Benidorm is pushing forward with the construction work on Montecarlo Street to complete it before the end of the year

Benidorm City Council has urged Audeca, the company awarded the contract for the renovation of the drinking water and sanitation infrastructure on Montecarlo Avenue, in the section between Berlin Street and Roma Avenue, to accelerate the ongoing work so that the project is fully completed before the end of this year.

The work on this street covers approximately 400 linear meters, and the current work is a continuation of that completed a year ago on the section between Paris Street and Roma Avenue. The project was awarded for €1,355,814.06 and is being financed entirely by the Municipal Water Service Renewal Fund. In addition to the drinking water and sanitation pipes, the project will also renew the stormwater drainage system, street lighting, paving, vertical and horizontal signage, landscaping and trees, and incorporate a reclaimed water network.

The Councillor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, visited the construction site today along with company representatives and municipal technicians. The visit served to select the type of paving that will be installed on the street, ensuring continuity with the paving already laid in the first completed section. “From last November until now, the work has focused on the underground infrastructure, with the replacement of pipes, often working between 4 and 5 meters below the surface,” said the councillor, who estimated that this work is 70% complete.

Just as was done during Holy Week, with the arrival of summer, “we will study ways to reconcile the progress of the work with the increase in tourist activity, and therefore the increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic,” explained González de Zárate, who reiterated the “enormous complexity and importance of the project” due to the presence of “numerous drinking water, sewage, treated wastewater, and stormwater drainage systems.” Furthermore, he pointed out that the terrain's composition, "with a high concentration of rocks in the subsoil," is causing the project to take longer and in greater cost.

"We are now reaching the level of London Street, and from there we will work down to the intersection with Stockholm Street, which is the last section remaining to renew the sewer and stormwater drainage system," the councilor explained. Regarding the surface work, the head of the Water Cycle department indicated that, now that the type of paving to be installed has been determined, "in just a few days, two or three teams will be working on the section between Berlin and Brussels Streets."

González de Zárate reiterated that it is “a complex project,” but assured that the entire sewer and stormwater drainage network, as well as the sidewalks from Berlín to Bruselas, will be completed before summer. He also expressed his confidence that “we will not have any more incidents or inconveniences stemming from the old asbestos cement pipes.” After approximately 40 years “without any work being done here,” the councilman emphasised that upon completion of the project, “we will see significant water savings, as there were many leaks and puddles. There will also be improvements to the street lighting and the trees, and residents will have access to reclaimed water for irrigating their neighbourhoods.”

The City Council is aware of the disruption that a project of this scale causes to residents of the area, and the councilman apologised for this. “We understand the inconvenience, but it is a difficult project, and we wanted to tackle it completely,” he added.

Details of the performance

The sewer system renovation includes replacing 338.87 meters of concrete pipe with compact PVC pipe and installing 14 residential connections. A stormwater drainage system, currently nonexistent, will also be implemented with the installation of 75 catch basins and 505 meters of piping. Regarding the drinking water network, over 700 meters of asbestos cement pipe will be replaced with cast iron. As mentioned, a reclaimed water system will be installed for street trees and to allow residents to use this water source for irrigating their gardens and green spaces. The public lighting will also be upgraded with new wiring, maximising the use of existing poles. Trees will be replaced with slow-growing evergreens, similar to those already planted along the completed section. Finally, the sidewalks will incorporate specific solutions for universal accessibility and road safety.