Tenerife: An additional €21.5 million will be allocated to complete the ring road for environmental friendliness and safety.

The Canary Islands Council for Public Works, Housing, and Mobility has given the "green light" to changes in the project to complete the ring road on Tenerife, between the towns of El Tanque and Santiago del Teide. An additional 21.5 million euros will be allocated for this, which is almost 9% of the total budget.

According to the Canary Islands government, the main goal of these changes is to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and make the tunnel safer.

What exactly are they planning to do?

• A 500 kW solar power plant will be built above the tunnel. It will be able to supply the tunnel with electricity during the day, when everything is operating normally.
• Sprayed concrete will be used in the tunnel instead of conventional concrete panels. This will help to better adapt to irregularities during drilling and reduce the use of concrete. As a result, about 32,000 tons of carbon dioxide will not be released into the atmosphere.
• The equipment in the tunnel will be updated to make it safer. Modern ventilation, lighting, communication, and control systems will be installed.
• Another solar power plant for its own needs will be built near the southern entrance to the Erjos tunnel, in Santiago del Teide. It is expected to provide about 16% of the tunnel's electricity needs.

The project budget has also been updated to comply with procurement legislation. The works are being carried out by a group of companies: FCC, El Silbo, and Syocsa-Inarsa.

The El Tanque – Santiago del Teide road is part of the so-called Western Ring, which will connect the northern and southern parts of the island.

This road will connect the TF-1 and TF-5 highways in the west, and will also extend the already built sections between Adeje and Santiago del Teide in the south, and between Icod de los Vinos and El Tanque in the east.

The road will have one lane in each direction, and the speed limit will be up to 80 kilometers per hour. The total length of the road is 11.3 kilometers, and half of it will pass through tunnels.

The largest part is the Erjos tunnel, which is 5.1 kilometers long. It will allow to bypass the Teno Natural Park and the village of Erjos, without harming nature.

The exit from the tunnel will be in the Santiago del Teide valley, from where the road will bypass the town and connect to the Adeje – Santiago del Teide section.