Park Inauguration in Torrevieja: A Partial Solution to the Floods
The residents of Doña Inés and Jardín del Mar recalled on Tuesday how, for years, they had to improvise earthen slopes to prevent the water coming from the Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas and the banks of the N-332 from flooding their homes every time it rained torrentially.
New Facility and Park
After 16 years, a new facility has been inaugurated aimed at significantly reducing this risk, although it does not completely eliminate it. In addition, a park has been opened next to this lamination pond, which should have been executed by the developer of these residential buildings, but was never demanded by the City Council. The land that La balsa now occupies, previously a plot full of bushes next to the road, is classified as a green zone in the urban planning of Torrevieja.
The investment of 570,000 euros for this work comes from the budget of Agamed, the concessionaire of water management in the municipality, financed by the invoices of its 128,000 subscribers.
Details of the Works
The works on the raft began in July 2023, after a long processing with the state Administration due to the road easement. The pond, with a storage capacity of 18,000 cubic meters, receives water from the lamination pond attached to the market hall and from the ditch on the east bank of the N-332.
The original project contemplated a capacity of 14,000 cubic meters, but the rainwater retention facility of the Market precinct was added, with an additional 4,000 cubic meters. According to Miguel Mazón Cartagena, technical director of Agamed, this facility was unused and was not being used. The opening ceremony was attended by Mayor Eduardo Dolón, councilors Sandra Sánchez and Concha Sala, and those responsible for the company.
The objective of this raft is to minimize the floods that affect the homes of the Jardín del Mar and Doña Inés residential areas, as well as the Francisco Díez and Joaquín García avenues. Although it was not mentioned at the event, it is also sought to avoid traffic cuts due to flooding of the N-332 and the CV-905. The surface of the raft is 4,533 square meters, with an average depth of 3.2 meters. Although it will not be the largest in Torrevieja, since the developer of the sector La Hoya is building another next to the CV-905 with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Features of the New Park
An irrigation network has been installed in the new park and about 45 trees have been planted, including palms, willows and poplars, which can withstand the flooding. Benches, bins, a canine recreation area and video surveillance cameras have also been placed. To delimit and protect the area, an ecological fence and a sliding gate with opening and closing hours have been installed, although these times were not specified in the press release.
Concerns of the Neighbors
During the opening ceremony, the neighbors were especially interested in issues such as park schedules, safety in case of torrential rains and the use of the canine area. In a rainy episode last March, most of the park was covered with a span of water, indicating that its use will be impracticable for days even with moderate rain.
There are still important issues to be resolved, such as the safety of the park, since three of the five underground collectors do not have grids, which represents a risk. In addition, it is unclear who will take care of the maintenance and cleaning of this facility, which although it looks like a green area, is actually a stormwater management facility. According to the mayor, it will be the municipal staff who will be in charge of opening and closing the access fence and closing it in case of rain forecast.