Tenerife Opens Public Consultation for TF-1 Greener Highway Projects

Tenerife's Island Council has started a public consultation for two major projects on the TF-1 highway, a key road on the island. The goal is to update the road and encourage greener travel. Details of the plans – which include fixing the highway's surface and adding a new lane for buses and high-occupancy vehicles (Bus-VAO) – were published on Wednesday in the Official Gazette of the Province (BOP). The public can now review these plans and submit any objections.

These projects are seen as vital for the south of the island. They will cover an 18.3-kilometre section of the TF-1, running between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Güímar. With a total investment of over 16 million euros, these improvements are part of a wider plan to make the road safer. This particular stretch sees more than 70,000 vehicles daily. Following the BOP publication, the public now has 20 working days to look at the projects and share their thoughts.

Island President Rosa Dávila explained that these plans aim to improve services for the thousands of Tenerife residents who use the TF-1 every day. Dávila stressed the importance of boosting safety and moving towards more eco-friendly ways of getting around. She added that the TF-1 needs ongoing investment to cope with today's traffic levels.

Dámaso Arteaga, the Minister of Roads, detailed the pavement repair work. He said it would be a complete overhaul, using high-quality asphalt mixes and special draining surfaces. These materials will not only give tyres better grip but also cut down on traffic noise. To keep disruption to a minimum for drivers and make the best use of resources, the work will be carried out in sections.

To be more sustainable, the project will reuse recycled materials taken from the old road surface. Besides the new asphalt, other upgrades include installing rumble strips along the road edges, repainting road markings with longer-lasting thermoplastic paint, and putting up new mesh fencing in the central reservation.

Alongside the road surface improvements, the new Bus-VAO lane is a key part of the Council's strategy for sustainable travel. This lane is designed to encourage more people to use public transport and carpool. The aim is to ease the regular traffic jams that affect journeys into the capital on this road, particularly during busy times.