The construction of the underground car park on Jaime I Avenue will begin next week after the completion of preliminary work

Construction of the underground parking on Jaime I Avenue will begin next week, following the completion of preliminary work to relocate utilities and transplant trees. This was announced today by the Councillor for Public Works and Mobility, Francis Muñoz, who reported that “due to the construction, the section of Jaime I Avenue from the Ricardo Bayona-Limones intersection to Nicaragua Avenue will be closed to traffic starting Tuesday, March 10th.”

The first phase of the project will focus on laying the foundation for the future parking garage, which will be carried out using heavy machinery. Once this phase is complete, excavation and construction of the floor slab will begin.

Muñoz noted that the parking garage will have two underground levels and 406 short-term parking spaces, and indicated that the Mobility Department, in coordination with the construction company, has reorganized traffic in the surrounding area, "which will be improved thanks to the new roundabout nearing completion at the intersection of Ricardo Bayona and Los Limones streets, and which will be operational next week."

In addition to the closure of the construction zone, access to Jaime I Avenue from Marqués de Comillas, Tordo, and Panamá streets will also be closed to vehicular traffic to prevent vehicles from reaching the affected section. Furthermore, vehicles wishing to access Uruguay Avenue must do so via Nicaragua Avenue, while El Tordo Street will operate as a two-way street.

The councilman explained that "one of the priorities when planning the project has been to minimise, as much as possible, the impact on residents and businesses along the avenue." To this end, “we have decided that the project will not be carried out in stages to reduce construction time, so that it will only affect one Easter week, one summer period, and one Christmas period.”

Furthermore, while the total road closure is in effect, new loading and unloading zones will be created on adjacent streets to “facilitate deliveries to the commercial, hotel, and restaurant establishments on the avenue as much as possible.” Specifically, there will be a new loading and unloading zone in the upper part of Jaime I, in the section between Arnedo and Ricardo Bayona streets, and another on Uruguay Avenue, opposite the cemetery. In addition, the loading and unloading zone on the lower part of Maravall Street will be expanded.

Preliminary works and site preparation

As the Councillor for Public Works and Mobility pointed out, “before the road closure for the construction of the Jaime I parking garage, a series of essential preparatory works were carried out, in which every effort was made to avoid disrupting traffic and minimise inconvenience to residents.” These works included transplanting trees affected by the parking garage construction, conducting exploratory excavations to locate and reroute utilities (primarily telephone, gas, and electricity), and creating a roundabout at the intersection of Los Limones Avenue and an additional pedestrian crossing on Jaime I Avenue.

Regarding the trees, the more than 30 Melia azedarach trees removed from the avenue have been replanted at the entrance to El Moralet Park (next to the Hermanos Martínez Munuera football fields), in Foietes Park, and at the Festa Espai venue (next to Vicente Pérez Devesa Pilota court).