Plenary session to request funding for the CV-740 bypass

 

This Friday, two successive extraordinary plenary sessions were held at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. What began as a session requested by the REDcv group to demand the resignation of the mayor, Miguel Ángel García, and councillors Mayte Roldán and Jorge Pascual, ended with the unanimous agreement of all those present to request funding from Diputación for the CV-740 ring road. REDcv’s request was rejected, receiving only two of the ten votes.

The three municipal groups — Més Benitatxell, REDcv and PP — voted unanimously in favour of this request, conveying the unity of the entire town in a historic demand. The request covers the following aspects:

“El Poble Nou de Benitatxell has been dealing with a complicated situation for decades, one that has become unsustainable. It has now reached levels that were unthinkable a few years ago: more than 32,000 vehicles pass through its urban centre every day on provincial roads (CV-740 and CV-737) that act as thoroughfares between municipalities, without any real adaptation to safety, accessibility or urban coexistence conditions. This traffic, which includes heavy goods vehicles, runs through streets such as Padre Plácido and Capelletes, with sections of less than 4.5 metres of road and pavements less than 75 cm wide, in school, residential and commercial areas. The result is a constant risk to pedestrians, regular traffic jams and an urban fracture that divides the town.

For decades, El Poble Nou de Benitatxell has shown clear support for the regional road network, acting as a natural link between larger towns. This role has helped to connect and promote the economic and urban development of this area of La Marina Alta. However, this same link crosses and divides our town centre, causing problems with safety, coexistence and accessibility that the population has had to endure for too long. This historical contribution now has a very high cost for the well-being of our residents. At the same time, we aspire to be a destination town, not just a place to pass through: a place that invites people to visit, stroll around and experience it.

Emergency services—ambulances, fire brigade, police—have often seen their ability to respond compromised by traffic congestion. These delays not only affect daily life in the municipality, but also clearly harm mobility throughout the region, affecting regular journeys, health and school services, as well as economic and tourist activity in La Marina Alta. In addition, noise, pollution and insecurity prevent the consolidation of quality public spaces.

In recent years, the Council has invested in sustainable mobility measures, expanding pedestrian areas, traffic calming zones and park-and-ride facilities. These measures have led to progress, but they are insufficient if the real structural problem is not addressed: the need for infrastructure that diverts through traffic away from the town centre.

The first phase of the ring road project has already been planned and drafted. It is a strategic initiative which has been identified as a priority by the Diputación de Alicante (Alicante Provincial Council). Discussions held with provincial representatives indicate a favourable predisposition to carry it out. However, the essential step is still missing: the budgetary provision to enable its implementation. Without this financial commitment, the project will remain on hold while the risks and social damage continue increasing. 

For all these reasons, the Plenary Session of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell Council clearly and responsibly requests that the Diputación Provincial de Alicante (Alicante Provincial Council) incorporate the corresponding budgetary provision for the execution of the bypass. It is an objective, urgent and unpostponable necessity to guarantee safety, local and regional mobility and the quality of life of all the residents”

The plenary session also approved—with votes in favour from Més Benitatxell and the PP, and abstention from REDcv—the cession of municipal plots to the Diputación de Alicante for the construction of the long-awaited roundabout at the dangerous Cansalades junction.

Source: Town Hall