tenerife bus lane connection santa cruz

Tenerife bus lane to be extended to ease Santa Cruz congestion

New project to link TF-5 bus lane with city interchange

The Cabildo of Tenerife has taken another step towards improving the flow of public transport on one of the main approaches to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The island corporation has awarded a contract to Proyma Consultores to draw up plans for connecting the bus lane that enters Santa Cruz from the TF-5 motorway directly with the city’s bus interchange, at a cost of €258,405. The main aim of the works is to allow buses to reach the interchange more quickly, bypassing some of the traffic jams that currently build up on the approach to the city.

A ‘key’ infrastructure for better connectivity

The President of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, said this infrastructure is “key” to improving connectivity in Santa Cruz and “strengthening the operational capacity of the bus service.” She added that the measure forms part of “a broader strategy to make public transport a more competitive alternative to the private car.” The scheme will benefit thousands of passengers who commute to Santa Cruz by public transport every day. According to data provided by the Cabildo, more than 1,700 bus services currently use the existing bus lane each day, arriving from both the north and the south of the island.

Reducing travel times and improving reliability

The direct link to the interchange is intended to reduce journey times and improve service regularity on an island where the main arterial routes into the metropolitan area—such as the TF-5 and TF-1 motorways—are under severe pressure during peak hours. The project will need to define the technical specifications for constructing an underpass that allows the bus lane to cross underneath Calle Áurea Díaz Flores, near the Meridiano shopping centre. This is an area with very heavy traffic, which adds complexity to the work.

Technical challenges and design options

The island’s Councillor for Mobility, Eulalia García, highlighted the technical challenge. “The task is to design an effective solution that guarantees the smooth flow of the bus lane at a critical point where traffic is heavy, optimising the flow and reducing the current bottlenecks,” she explained. The winning firm will be required to study several options, including the possibility of allowing two buses to pass simultaneously in emergency situations, or even configuring the lane for two-way operation, provided the available space and technical feasibility allow it. The Cabildo also suggests that the future underpass could be used to manage certain movements by private traffic in the area. This possibility will need to be assessed during the study, which must weigh up both the functionality for buses and the impact on other vehicles.

Timeline and contract conditions

Proyma Consultores will have a total of 15 months to complete the work. Of this, 13 months will be spent on drafting the study and two months on delivering the final project. The procurement process prioritised the technical quality of the proposals and the professional experience of the design team. The contract also includes a special condition for execution: at least 40% of the assigned staff must be on permanent contracts, a measure aimed at promoting stable employment.

Source

Scroll to Top