Green light to the five-year plan to ‘bury’ the railway that cuts the Spanish Valencia in two

ONE of the most complex railway engineering projects in Spain was formally given the green light at an on-site signing ceremony in the city of Valencia on Monday.

The train line that goes from the south of the city to the Giorgeta bridge will be buried, which will make it possible to unite a ‘divided’ part of Valencia.

There have been requests for a tunnel since 2003 and more than 440 million euros have been budgeted for the work.

Half of the money will come from the Ministry of Transport and the rest will be divided between the Valencia City Council and the Valencian government.

The project will be carried out in nine phases over five years, without causing interruptions to train services.

Ángel Contreras, from the railway line operator, Adif, said: “This is the most complex project we have carried out in Spain.”

Three tunnels, one to collect wastewater and two for rail services, will be built some 25 meters underground.

One of the most obvious changes will be the eventual elimination of the bridge that joins Avenida Giorgeta with Avenida de Peris y Valero.

Spain’s Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez said the work would lead to an “urban metamorphosis” for Valencia, while Mayor Joan Ribo said the changes would “unite” the city’s southern districts after being divided for 170 years on railways.

The topography and soil clearing work will be the first sign of activity in the works, with the placement of new AVE high-speed train tracks being a first priority to move services away from the tunnel construction area.