Pilar de la Horadada council is to build a flyover at the western end of Calle Mayor where the road leaves the built up area heading toward Campoverde.

The place where the works will be carried out are at the point where the canalisation of the rambla began in 1996. It runs for a stretch of about three kilometres emptying into the sea in Torre de la Horadada, as shown on the municipal website.

The Councilor for Infrastructure, Francisco Albaladejo, said that with no positive response from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS), the council has decided to take steps of its own to resolve the problem of road closures during heavy rain, that regularly force that stretch of Calle Mayor to close to traffic.

He said that the situation was especially serious during the period of intense rainfall recorded last year, adding that the municipality has been asking the CHS for years extend the rambla by one more kilometre, from its current starting place adjacent to the main road, across to near the Ikomar Stadium football field.

The council feel that by taking these measures the floods that affect this part of the town would be resolved, but it is estimated that the work would cost about six million euros.

What the consistory now aim to do is to lower the level of the road to ensure that the water flows down the rambla towards the sea and does not deviate into the town centre.  Vehicles will cross over a flyover that will be configured as a kind of bridge. The project has a budget of 616,503 euros and is already out to tender with a closing date in mid March.

Snr Albaladejo said that the works will be financed from the 2016 treasury surplus, money that is available because it was not spent at that time. Whilst the work is being carried out traffic will have to be diverted for a period of about eight months.