Santa Cruz Port Authority to Repair Valleseco Pedestrian Bridges Following Safety Closures
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority has announced plans to repair the structurally unsound Valleseco coastline pedestrian bridges, though the structures will remain closed for at least six months during the planning and bidding process.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority has confirmed it plans to repair the pedestrian bridges along the Valleseco coastline. The announcement follows inquiries from the Nuestra Señora del Carmen neighborhood association regarding the walkways, which have been closed since last April after a safety audit found them to be structurally unsound.
The inspection revealed significant decay in both the wood and steel components of the Cory and Playa de la Alemana piers. The Cory pier suffered from missing side beams and worn anchor points, while the Playa de la Alemana bridge had broken metal rods and loose decking. These issues are worsened by the structures' location in the intertidal zone, where constant exposure to salt and moisture causes materials to deteriorate much faster.
The Port Authority expects it will take six months to draft the technical plans, which will then be followed by a bidding process for the construction work. Because of this timeline, the bridges will remain closed throughout the current summer season, much to the disappointment of local residents. In response, the neighborhood association has asked the City Council to clean and improve the area around Valleseco beach to help offset the loss of the piers.
This situation highlights the difficulty of maintaining coastal infrastructure, where safety must always come first. The Port Authority has assured residents that the administrative process to rebuild the bridges and ensure their long-term stability is already underway.