The stage of trucks over 100 meters long carry wind blades up to 92 metersmasts 50 meters long and 4.4 meters wide, essential for the construction of a wind farm in Los Barrios (Cádiz), will force the closure of the Costa del Sol highway (AP-7) for several hours ) in the early hours of this Tuesday, November 19. Concretely, as reported by the toll motorway concession company, Autosol, the effects will extend between 00:00 and 03:30.
An example of the uniqueness of the process announced today is that, as confirmed Juan Marchini, general manager of Ausolthis is an “unusual event with very few precedents on the Costa del Sol motorway”. Due to the dimensions of the various elements of the wind farm, the circulation of other vehicles is prohibited.
To adapt this transport, during the first hours of Monday to Tuesday and at the scheduled times, the three toll sections will be closed to traffic only in the direction of Cádiz and next detours: on the Benalmádena variant towards the A-7, at kilometer point 1011; Marbella variant towards the A-7 (PK 1047); Estepona variant towards the A-7 (PK 1071); as well as in the three side tolls of Calahonda, San Pedro and Manilva (respectively at PK 200, 172 and 143).
“It is necessary to keep the highway closed to traffic due to the dimensions of transport and its low speedbecause this would prevent users from traveling at normal speed on the highway,” Marchini explains.
He the operation is coordinated with the Civil Traffic Guard at any time. In addition, each truck carries three escort vehicles with light signals and an assistance vehicle also travels at the end of the convoy. Along with this, the Laso company, which carries out the transport, has a workshop and a mechanical vehicle, in case of any eventuality during the trip. The company specifies that this measure is absolutely temporary and is not due to any unforeseen or unexpected situation, but that it is “perfectly planned”.
The scheduled operation provides for the passage of six convoys of special vehicles between October and Novemberalthough the Danas that affected the province caused a slight delay compared to the initial schedule, with some of the dates initially planned having been postponed. Five have already been executed, so “this evening ends this important operation which lasted almost four weeks”.
The general director of Ausol emphasizes that the AP-7 highway is “the single route on which these large trucks can circulate in the south of Spain, due to the caliber of the parts. “The route finally used, from the port of Motril to Los Barrios, is the result of several months of study in which they were involved the special transport company Laso, the Ministry of Transport and the concessionary company Ausol.
“With measures like this, Ausol strives to take care of big projects and of great economic and social importance, to collaborate in the sustainability and development of renewable energies in Andalusia, mainly in the province of Cádiz, where the increase in this type of projects is more than notable”, concludes Marchini.
