Benidorm allocates nearly 500,000 euros to improve road safety and mobility on Avenida de l’Albir

The Benidorm City Council will allocate nearly half a million euros to a project to improve road safety and mobility on the CV-7532 road, known as Avenida de l’Albir or ‘the tourist road,’ which connects the municipality with the neighboring municipality of l’Alfàs del Pi. The local Governing Board approved on Monday, at the proposal of the Councilor for Public Works and Mobility, Francis Muñoz, the ‘Road Design Project for the Improvement of Road Safety and Mobility on the CV-7532 (Avenida de l’Albir) Municipality of Benidorm,’ a document that defines the necessary actions to carry out these improvements and has an estimated budget of €411,448.51 plus VAT.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has reminded everyone that Avenida de l’Albir has been under municipal ownership since July 2022, when Alicante Provincial Council officially transferred a 1.6-kilometre stretch between Avenida de Severo Ochoa and the ‘trinquet’ roundabout to the Benidorm City Council, thus converting this road into an urban thoroughfare. Pérez also noted that “since this road became entirely municipal, some improvements and repairs have been carried out, but we had a more comprehensive project pending to improve infrastructure and services, which is what we are going to implement now.”

To improve road safety on the CV-7532, the project proposes a series of "access reorganisation measures and improvements to cycling infrastructure, thus guaranteeing safer circulation for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians," stated the mayor, who emphasised that "the proposed measures not only seek to improve road safety but also increase traffic flow."

In this regard, he noted that this section of road includes a school, several campsites, fully established commercial areas, an events venue, single-family homes, and orchards, all alongside the typical traffic flow of an urban road.

To improve safety and facilitate traffic flow and access to various services, the improvements included in this project are the design of a roundabout near the entrance to the Villamar campsite. The project also proposes improvements to the existing bike lane, adapting it to the guidelines established in the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility's Guide to Recommendations for the Design of Cycling Infrastructure. Furthermore, a safety zone will be created, and the width of traffic lanes will be reduced where possible to promote traffic calming. New horizontal signage will also be installed at the intersections of the bike lane with paths and access roads to adjacent properties, ensuring "a more efficient and safer integration for all road users," explained the councillor.

Finally, Toni Pérez pointed out that this project "was developed in response to requests from the residents' associations of Pla del Cuartel and Pla del L'Assagador" and added that "with the implementation of these measures, a reduction in accidents and a significant improvement in the quality of life for residents are expected."

Next Generation Funds

This project is funded by the European Union through the Next Generation EU program. Specifically, within the framework of the Valencian Community's 2021 Territorial Plan for Sustainable Tourism, funded by the European Union's Next Generation EU program, Benidorm received a grant for the improvement and expansion of the cycling infrastructure on Avenida de l’Albir, under Program 3 (Sustainable Tourism Mobility: Clean Transport) of this plan.