Tenerife South Businesses Slam Seven-Year Highway Delay
Business leaders in Southern Tenerife are increasingly frustrated by the seven-year delay in the TF-1 highway expansion project, initially slated for bidding in 2018, which they say is exacerbating traffic and hindering the region's economic growth.
While the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility of the Canary Islands government states that "the project is still being processed," Javier Cabrera, president of the Circle of Businesspeople and Professionals of Southern Tenerife (CEST), has voiced the frustration felt in the region. This frustration stems from the long delay in expanding the southern highway, specifically the section from San Isidro (Granadilla de Abona) to Playa de las Américas (Adeje). "The bidding process was scheduled for 2018, and seven years later, we are still waiting," he summarizes.
Mr. Cabrera highlights the "concern" among local businesses and the commercial sector over the "unjustifiable" delay in calling for bids for this work. The first phase of the project will cover the area from Oroteanda (San Miguel de Abona) to Los Cristianos (Arona). He emphasizes, "The south of the Island cannot remain blocked due to the lack of interest shown by our administration."
This highway expansion was presented as a "priority to ease traffic, improve mobility, and boost competitiveness" in the southern region. Yet, for seven years, there have only been "announcements, promises, and headlines," with "not a single stone or a single piece of paper" actually moved. What has happened with this project "shows us that the South has to achieve its investments by constantly knocking on the door," laments the CEST president.
Traffic on the TF-1 highway is "already unbearable, especially during peak hours," a problem that "the start of the high tourist season exacerbates even further." He reiterates that the roads are over 30 years old, and "the increase in the number of vehicles, both from residents and visitors, makes the situation unsustainable." Therefore, he believes that "only the expansion of the highway at the existing bottlenecks is the immediate solution to our problems."
CEST points out that the high tourist season is the most profitable period and drives a large part of the GDP for both the island and the entire Canary Islands. Therefore, infrastructure "must be commensurate with its economic weight and the needs of its activity." However, Mr. Cabrera argues that "the lack of progress in the expansion of the TF-1 reflects a worrying and unsettling absence of commitment to the structured and balanced development of the Island."
Speaking for the region's business owners and merchants, he demands "actions, not more announcements" for the South. He states that years passing without tendering this project "represents a lost opportunity to improve competitiveness, attract investment, and guarantee dignified mobility for those who live, work, and generate wealth here."