Santa Cruz Opens New La Rosa Street Section, Mayor Highlights Strategic Role
Santa Cruz City Council has opened a new section of La Rosa street to pedestrians and vehicles up to San Francisco Javier street, a "strategic move" to enhance city center accessibility and link businesses, with full renovation expected by May next year.
The Santa Cruz City Council, through its Public Works department, has opened a new section of La Rosa street to pedestrians and vehicles. This newly opened stretch goes up to San Francisco Javier street. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez stated yesterday that this is a "strategic move for the city center." He explained it will create an accessible route for people walking and shopping, linking businesses from the Almeyda barracks to the Nuestra Señora de África Market.
The mayor also noted that the renovation and modernization of La Rosa street have been progressing steadily. On the 9th, the Governing Board approved an additional 1.3 million euros for the project. This extra funding aims to cover unexpected problems that arose at the start of the work. The council hopes to complete the street's full renovation by May of next year.
Public Works Councillor Javier Rivero explained that the opening of this new section up to San Francisco Javier street, combined with the section up to San Antonio street (which opened in October and reverted to its original uphill direction towards Méndez Núñez street), is starting to show the final layout of this vital city road. He added that these two recent openings have helped ease traffic and movement within the El Toscal neighborhood. Additionally, new underground waste containers were expected to be in use since last November.
Rivero also stated that, as previously reported in June 2024, working on two phases simultaneously has significantly sped up the project. The aim was to complete the work up to San Francisco Javier street before the end of the year, which has been achieved. This progress has allowed them to continue with phases 3 and 4, extending the work up to San Vicente Ferrer street. He confirmed that this does not alter the 12-month delay estimate, which was communicated to residents and merchants last April and added to the initial project timeline.
Meanwhile, Purificación Dávila, the Councillor for the Centro-Ifara district, thanked residents, businesses, and educational centers for their patience. She acknowledged that construction work is always a hardship but assured them that the improvements will be enjoyed once completed.