Road communications in both directions between Madrid and Andalusia were further improved today by the opening of two sections (one in each direction) of the Southern Motorway, which connects Madrid and Andalusia. Spain's Minister of Infrastructure, José Blanco, inaugurated 14.1 kilometres of highway in the Despeñaperros pass this afternoon.

The sections of road opened to traffic today are as follows: 9.4 kilometres northbound between the towns of Santa Elena (Jaén) and Venta de Cárdenas (Ciudad Real), and 4.7 kilometres southbound between the Aldeaquemada junction and Santa Elena.

"This project in Despeñaperros is further evidence that Spain must continue to invest in infrastructure, which is critical for the country's development and is a catalyst of economic growth," said Baldomero Falcones, Chairman and CEO of FCC. "Infrastructures like the one inaugurated today are of vital importance not only for Central Spain and Andalusia but also for the country as a whole," added Falcones.

The remaining section, between the Santa Elena and Aldeaquemada junctions on the southbound highway through the pass, will be completed in 2012. The work is being conducted while traffic continues to flow. It will also be necessary to demolish the existing viaduct to the south of the existing tunnel, on the border between the Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha regions, in order to complete the El Corzo viaduct.

The northbound 9.4 kilometres of three-lane highway will shorten travel times for traffic towards Madrid and substantially improve road safety and the driving experience. The infrastructure, which currently handles an average of 24,000 vehicles per day, of which 30% are trucks, is expected to carry up to 50,000 vehicles by 2025.

Safety and the environment

Environmental protection and workplace safety were primordial objectives pursued by the Ministry, FCC and the other entities involved in this project, since a considerable part of the new road crosses the Despeñaperros Nature Park. The new high-grade route replaces the previous winding road while respecting the surrounding environment.

A total of 8 million euro were invested in environmental protection, including investments to reduce and correct the environmental impact, such as reducing the barrier to fauna by eliminating one of the existing roadways and increasing the number of fauna passages, plus turning the former road into a greenway.

Additionally, watercourses and riverbanks were cleaned and restored, habitat conditions for such species as lynx, deer and wild boar were enhanced, trees were planted combined with selective felling to prevent forest fires, tunnel mouths were integrated into the landscape, the landscape was restored following construction, and steps were taken to reduce noise pollution and preserve the area's archaeological heritage.

Viaducts and tunnels

The scale of the engineering involved in the project is evident in the viaducts and tunnels. Specifically, three major twin viaducts were built: Santa Elena (160 metres long), Manantial (550 metres) and Tinajuelas (580 metres).

Additionally, another 380 metre viaducts crosses the Despeñaperros river, the Madrid-Sevilla railway line and the existing northbound road, while another 70 metre viaduct supported by an arch with a 53 metre span crosses the Cuchareros river, connecting with the Corzo tunnel (420 metres). Additionally, the La Cantera (240 metres) and the Despeñaperros (1,925 metres) tunnels enable traffic to avoid the "Los Órganos" natural habitat.

A dual underground power line to feed the tunnels was laid from the Almuradial substation to Venta de Cárdenas (15 kilometres), and a tunnel control centre was built. The control centre, located in Santa Elena, integrates all the safety features installed to supervise the road and handle any incidents that arise.