Walkways on the Tormes River
The City Council of Salamanca has removed the historic natural barrier that the Tormes River represented for five neighbourhoods, over two kilometres of riverside length, with the construction and improvement of three pedestrian and bicycle walkways.
- Fund:
- FEDER
- Period:
- 2014 - 2020
- Location:
- Castilla y León
- Subject matter:
- Finalista EuropaSeSiente | Desarrollo urbano | Movilidad urbana sostenible
- Programme:
- Multiregional Operational Programme Spain (POPE)
- Total investment:
- 3.216.827,00 €
- EU aid:
- 2.573.461,00 €
- Start date:
- 30/06/2018
- Date of completion:
- 31/12/2023
The non-existence of crossing structures to the west of the University bridge was a brake on the populations of both shores, as well as a decline in their socio-economic development. The situation is now being reversed, maximising permeability and connectivity between neighbourhoods numbering around 15,000 inhabitants, as well as facilitating their access to the new hospital, university campus and the rest of the city.
In particular, a 167-metre-long walkway over the river has been constructed in five ‘V’-shaped gutters over the waterway, with a useful width of 5 metres configured in two 2.50-metre pathways for pedestrian and cycling use protected by stainless steel handrails on both sides of the walkway, as well as energy-efficient street lighting. Two additional walkways of 165 and 95 metres in length, respectively, have also been extended next to the site of the birth of the Lazarillo de Tormes.
The action includes the construction of the accesses to connect with the network of pedestrian paths and cycle lanes enabled on both sides of the Tormes River through Green Corridors, as well as with the existing road, improvements also implemented within the EDUSI TORMES+. In this way, sustainable mobility is improved and healthy habits are encouraged.
The cofinancing of the ERDF has been conveniently disseminated through press conferences (start, development and end of work), a twinning event between neighbours on both sides after decades without a direct connection (more than 500 attendees), messages and videos on social networks (more than 100,000 impressions), press reports on paper and digital (high level of coverage, including regional media, reaching all the area's neighbours, and all the citizens of Salamanca) and local television spots.
Innovative dissemination has also been carried out by including the runways in the popular marches and races that take place in the city throughout the year, through the 'digital façade' of the Tormes+ Centre and the digital screens installed throughout the city, coming from another EDUSI operation and from municipal projects financed with NextGeneration funds.
New pedestrian and bicycle walkway on the Tormes River in Salamanca
Salamanca has a new pedestrian and cyclist walkway built on the Tormes River by the City of Salamanca, with funding from ERDF funds thanks to the cohesion policies of the European Union, which is configured as a bridge of opportunities to balance development and quality of life between both margins,...