Santa Cruz Completes Accessibility Upgrades at Meridiano Shopping Center
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has completed a 218,808-euro urban renewal project at the Meridiano Shopping Center, eliminating a hazardous height barrier to improve accessibility for pedestrians.
Construction work around the Meridiano Shopping Center in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is now complete, marking a major shift in the city’s approach to urban mobility. According to the City Council, the project has successfully removed a significant architectural barrier: a 1.6-meter height difference that had long posed a safety risk to pedestrians, particularly those with reduced mobility.
The project, which began in February 2026, highlights the difficulties local governments face when updating older urban designs to meet modern accessibility standards. The final cost reached 218,808.73 euros. This includes the initial 175,118-euro contract awarded to Asfaltos Jaén S.L.U., plus an additional 43,690.73 euros approved last June to cover necessary technical adjustments, which also extended the project timeline by six weeks.
The initiative began as a request through the city’s Participatory Budgets, where residents highlighted the dangers at the intersection of Áurea Díaz Flores Hernández and Álvaro Rodríguez López streets. What started as a plan to adjust a single pedestrian crossing grew into a full redesign of the area. The new layout features a 3.65-meter-wide ramp spanning three sections, relocated traffic lights, updated curb cuts, new pavement, and added street furniture like planters and handrails.
The project faced several administrative hurdles, including an initial tender that received no bids, forcing the City Council to restart the process with a revised budget. To minimize disruption in this busy area, crews performed much of the paving and signage work at night. With this project finished, the city has addressed a long-standing safety concern and brought this high-traffic hub up to current accessibility standards.