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Third Lane for Tenerife’s TF-5 Motorway to Start This Summer

Third Lane for Tenerife’s TF-5 to Begin This Summer

A new third lane on Tenerife’s heavily congested northern TF-5 motorway is expected to be operational within three years of work starting, which is forecast for this summer. The project will increase the road’s capacity by 50%. This vital artery currently handles an average of 110,000 vehicles per day, with peaks of up to 4,500 vehicles per hour, the Island Council (Cabildo) announced this Friday.

Project Scope and Traffic Relief

Emilio Grande, the project engineer, clarified at a press conference that the 36-month, €66.4 million works will not require the closure of either of the existing two lanes. The intervention will focus on the stretch between kilometres 11 and 15 of the TF-5, between San Lázaro and the Coca Cola plant. It includes significant improvements to the functionality of the Guamasa, airport, and San Lázaro junctions to optimise traffic flow at one of the island’s most congested points.

Grande confirmed that the project, first drafted in 2018, involves few land expropriations as most were completed when the motorway was originally built. 90% of the stretch runs over public land, with additional concessions from the airport authority, AENA. He highlighted the dramatic growth in traffic, from around 5,000 daily vehicles in the 1960s to over 100,000 today, with peak-hour spikes of 12,000 on infrastructure designed for 22,000.

Innovative “Racetrack” Junction and Storm Tanks

The engineer stated that the project, currently out to tender, aims to improve traffic fluidity, enhance road safety, and reorganise junctions to prevent conflicts between routes, particularly for traffic heading to Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz. Key measures include creating a new “racetrack” style interchange to redistribute traffic flows and reduce conflict points, and reorganising the airport junction to absorb traffic from La Laguna and relieve pressure on San Lázaro.

Notably, the project will incorporate a system of storm tanks. These are drainage network structures consisting of dedicated reservoirs to capture and retain rainwater carried by collectors, particularly during heavy downpours. This reduces the risk of flooding when the volume of rain exceeds the capacity of natural drainage.

Grande explained that the stretch between La Laguna and Portezuelo lacks sufficient natural channels for conventional water evacuation, as the local ravines have limited capacity, forcing alternative solutions. A total of six storm tanks—one on AENA land—will be built to collect initial runoff, store it temporarily, and treat it before release, preventing watercourse overload and potential flooding or pollution issues.

Political Consensus and Next Steps

The press conference was also attended by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the President of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila; Vice President Manuel Domínguez; and the Minister for Public Works, Pablo Rodríguez, among other officials. Clavijo emphasised the government’s action on Tenerife’s serious mobility problems, based on consensus and institutional collaboration. He stressed that mobility is about more than construction, requiring a package of measures to facilitate travel, especially in densely populated areas, including significant investment in public transport.

Minister Pablo Rodríguez commented that the project is “no longer a forecast, but a reality in motion,” now in the tender phase after being published on 24 December. Nine bids from companies and joint ventures have been submitted, ensuring competition. He advanced that the award proposal will be raised in the coming weeks, with a possible adjudication in April, though final timelines depend on potential appeals. “The goal is to start the works as soon as possible, presumably in summer,” he insisted, given the urgent need on this high-traffic stretch.

Cabildo President Rosa Dávila stated that the third lane is “a decisive step in a key priority for Tenerife,” being crucial infrastructure to improve mobility and address the daily traffic jams affecting thousands. Dávila stressed this is “not just another project,” but a direct response to travel problems, time spent on the road, and the impact on both quality of life and the island’s economic development.

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