The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, assured that the high-speed line between Madrid and Valencia will be operational “at most” in 15 dayssince in one of the two affected tunnels, that of the Torrent, no damage occurred “beyond the flooding”. Likewise, he announced a fund of more than 25 million euros to deal with the consequences that the storm left on infrastructure.
This is what the minister said this Friday in an interview with the RNE program “Las Mañanas”, where he specified that the Chiva tunnel of this railway line had to be reconstructed. Puente indicated that the government has already approved 13 million euros to begin “urgently” restoring the A7, closed and impossible to travel, and it is expected that in 10 or 12 days it can be opened to traffic at limited speed thanks to the installation of a few “boxes”.
“The work started yesterday, we cannot go any faster,” insisted the minister, who once again stressed that the situation is “extremely serious”, with 80 kilometers of the state road network affected by the DANA. Puente also announced 12.2 million euros for the repair of the N-322 and recalled that the A3 is only open to emergency services, but that it must circulate “essing” due to the damage and accumulation of vehicles.
The most serious damage is concentrated on the Valencia suburban network, since three of the five existing lines have disappeared, especially the C3with 45 kilometers of which “nothing can be recovered”. Asked about areas where aid has not yet been able to reach, such as Chiva affairassured that the Executive had put all means at the service of the Valencian Generalitat and stressed that this Thursday there was already talk of several helicopters joining the system to transport supplies to these areas.
“I put myself in your place, but I ask for calm and that the recommendations of the emergency services be followed,” added Puente, who acknowledged be “worried” but devote “all energy and dedication” to try to resolve the situation and ensure that help arrives “as soon as possible”.
He once again emphasized that “we are a decentralized country” and endowed with “clear powers” and it is for this reason that it is the Generalitat which manages the aid, with the collaboration of the central government. “Things are done better together,” he noted. Regarding sanitation infrastructure, he stressed that they are “seriously damaged”, both supply and supply infrastructure, so “it will take a long time” to return to normality and we must look for “alternative channels ” and that’s what they do. .deploying every effort.
