The Andalusian Government will improve the road safety of the main access to La Rambla, in the province of Córdoba, by expanding the road and constructing three roundabouts to improve connections and reduce accidents. The Ministry of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing has awarded over three million euros (3,160,157) to the Cordoba-based company JICAR for the works on this road that connects the municipality to the A-386.
The Minister of Development, Rocío Díaz, emphasized the importance of acting on a road that «has been waiting for a road safety improvement for 15 years.» An intervention, she pointed out, that «will not only improve the communications of La Rambla, but will also be an economic boost for the pottery and ceramic industry of the municipality.»
The remodeling of the access to La Rambla was conceived in 2010, with the drafting of a first project, but since then no action was taken, and the works were not tendered. Ten years later, the Government of Juanma Moreno resumed this intervention with the update of the project, which was completely outdated, did not meet the current development and needs of the municipality, and was not compliant with the current regulations.
The works awarded by the Ministry of Development are co-financed by European Feder funds of the program in Andalusia 2021-2027 and will focus on a section of the A-3133 road located between kilometers 26.4 and 27.9, from the urban center of La Rambla to the junction with the A-386 (Écija–La Rambla). This road is the main access to La Rambla for drivers coming from the A-45 motorway.
Accidents in this road section, which crosses several streets of the municipality and the industrial estate, have significantly increased in recent years. The current layout is winding and too narrow (six meters of road without shoulders) for a road that carries nearly 4,000 vehicles per day.
With this project, which has an estimated duration of 17 months, the Ministry of Development will widen the road, which will have two lanes of 3.25 meters, a one-meter shoulder on the right side, and a 0.60-meter verge. Likewise, it will redesign the intersections with three new roundabouts that will better manage traffic flows at this entrance to the municipality.
The first roundabout will be located in the urban center, on Blas Infante Street, next to the municipal swimming pool, while the second will serve as access to the Los Alfares industrial estate, replacing the current T-shaped intersection. Along with the construction of these two roundabouts, a sidewalk and a cycle lane are planned on the left side. On the right side, a section of sidewalk is proposed at the beginning of the project section to the new position of the bus stop to provide access to a building near the intervention. Through these sidewalks, the existing sidewalk will be completed and conditioned, thus eliminating any existing discontinuities. Likewise, lighting will be installed along the entire road, located on the left side sidewalk.
Finally, the intersection with the A-386 road will be redesigned with a level roundabout that will replace the existing T-shaped junction. Along with the reorganization of connections and accesses, the layout and longitudinal drainage will be improved, and the pavement will be renewed.
In parallel, the Ministry of Development has also awarded the technical assistance for the project management of the works to Geser Ingenieros Consultores for 133,692 euros.
