Elche local governing board has approved the initiation of the contracting process for road adaptation works aimed at improving mobility at the l’Aljub roundabout. The project has a base budget of 806,417 euro. Although the mayor, Pablo Ruz, previously indicated that the works would begin in the final part of August, board spokesperson Inma Mora has now stated that the project will commence at the end of September.
With a construction period of at least six months, the project is scheduled for completion in March, just weeks before the municipal elections in May. This timeline means the bulk of the construction will take place during the peak shopping season, including Black Friday, Christmas, and the winter sales, at a roundabout that serves as the main access to the primary shopping centres in Elche. However, Mora stated that the design of the project should prevent excessive interference with access to the large shopping centres, and measures will be taken if necessary to minimise the impact on this busy route towards Crevillent and Murcia.
The project involves opening a new road from Chile Street, next to the El Corte Inglés roundabout, connecting the area to a road parallel to the railway line situated between the Fire Station and the Tirant Lo Blanc Secondary School. This route aims to channel some of the traffic heading towards Crevillent and Murcia, preventing all vehicles from converging on the l’Aljub roundabout. Landscaping will also be carried out along this new route, which is currently in poor condition.
Additionally, short-cycle traffic lights will be installed at the l’Aljub roundabout to better manage traffic flow during peak hours, reduce bottlenecks, and facilitate access to Avenida de la Libertad. In parallel, access to the shopping centre parking lot will be improved with two new entrances in the southwest and north areas to distribute traffic more effectively.
Funding for the works has been accelerated after the local governing board approved a modification to the 2024 and 2025 investment loans, allocating a surplus of 419,893 euro directly to the l’Aljub project. This allows the council to proceed without waiting for the tender of a separate 10.9 million euro loan that was originally intended to finance the plan.
In other matters, the PP-Vox coalition government agreed to initiate penalty proceedings against three different companies responsible for air conditioning installations at the Don Crispín, Don Honorio, Don Julio, and Els Xiquets municipal preschools. The companies face fines of approximately 20,000 euro each for delays, as the work was due for completion in November 2025 following a five-week extension. A similar 20,000 euro fine was imposed last week regarding delays at the Rosa Fernández preschool.
The council also awarded the contract for works in the Nieves Berenguer gardens on Obispo Barrachina Street, in the Sagrada Familia neighbourhood, to Obras y Servicios P. Selva for 160,325 euro. The project, which has a three-month execution period and an estimated contract value of 132,583 euro, was reactivated in April following previous contractor breaches and bureaucratic delays.
Finally, approval was granted for the temporary, free loan of portable semi-automatic defibrillators to be used by Civil Protection personnel during large events at the August Festivals, Christmas, and Holy Week, supplementing the 68 fixed defibrillators in municipal buildings and 40 solar-powered totems across Elche.