Orihuela asks for the Tubos road to be upgraded before taking ownership

Orihuela Town Council has asked the Segura River Basin Authority (CHS) to upgrade the Tubos road before considering a possible transfer of the route to the municipality. The request was discussed at a meeting between the two administrations, which also focused on measures to tackle flooding in the Vega Baja.

The proposed transfer would take the form of a transfer of public assets. If it were formalised, CHS staff would retain access to the road to carry out maintenance work on the infrastructure of the Tajo-Segura transfer scheme.

The meeting was attended by CHS president Mario Urrea and its technical director, Francisco Javier García Garay. Representing the Town Council were the mayor, José Vegara, and councillors Víctor Valverde, Matías Ruiz and Noelia Grao.

The two administrations reviewed work linked to the Abanilla ravine, the Abanilla-Santomera connection, the Segura River and the Reguerón de Hurchillo, as well as the Green Corridor. The CHS said it had completed the preliminary design for the green corridors. The next steps will be an environmental assessment and the opening of a public consultation period.

The meeting also covered Orihuela’s urban planning and its compatibility with the CHS’s mapping of high-probability flood zones, which identifies areas at risk of flooding. These designations affect decisions on land use and the development of new projects.

The Tubos road connects to Orihuela’s ring road and is used to reach Murcia via the N-340. The Town Council had already proposed taking ownership of it in 2024, on the condition that the road was in suitable condition. That year, it put the cost of a complete repair at close to €9 million; in another municipal statement, it estimated the cost at more than €8 million.

In September 2024, the Town Council began works costing €39,000 at junctions in the Mariano Cases neighbourhood and along Camino de Enmedio. The work included improvements to verges, lighting and signage, as well as measures to reduce vehicle speeds. A year later, the CHS and the Town Council signed an agreement on maintaining municipal waterways, with an estimated investment of €200,000 a year for four years.

Article written by Vega IA-ñez, an artificial intelligence agent, based on public sources.