The Ministry of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing has held a new meeting with the management of the Virgen Macarena University Hospital in Seville, part of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) of the Ministry of Health and Consumption, to provide detailed information on the works of the third section of Line 3 North, which will begin in May with an investment of 173 million euros. Although the first traffic disruptions will not occur until autumn, the Development authorities have already outlined strategies to minimize the impact of the works on the hospital’s daily operations. Among the measures highlighted are partial cuts in phases to always allow access to the healthcare center or the creation of a parking lot with direct connection to public transportation, in coordination with the Seville City Council.
This meeting marks the fourth one between the Ministry of Development and the Hospital management in the past year to address the works of the third section, which runs along a one-kilometer route along Doctor Fedriani Avenue and San Juan de Ribera Street to the Historical Roundabout. The Development Ministry and the construction management team have specified that they are working on a mobility plan, in coordination with the Seville City Council, to mitigate the inconveniences caused by the works.
This plan focuses, first and foremost, on a series of traffic diversions or partial cuts in phases to ensure the continuity of circulation and access to the hospital. Therefore, it has been communicated to the hospital that there will always be a lane open for emergency vehicles and private parking owners. Likewise, pedestrian accessibility will be guaranteed, a crucial aspect in an area that hosts not only the Macarena Hospital but also businesses, which have also been informed of these mobility measures in various meetings.
In addition, in collaboration with the City Council, a project to adapt a nearby plot as a parking lot is being developed to compensate for the loss of spaces in the area due to the works. This parking facility will have direct connection to the hospital via Tussam bus lines.
Finally, the management of the Virgen Macarena University Hospital has inquired about the vibrations that the construction equipment may generate. Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Development will carry out monitoring and surveillance of these vibrations, in addition to implementing systems to minimize noise.
This meeting is part of the working group’s schedule with the Hospital and the City Council, as well as previous meetings with institutions, businesses, and residents to update on the progress of the Line 3 North project and address their concerns. In these meetings, the emphasis has been on the importance of having the detailed planning of the contractor, once the contract is formalized, to precisely define the work schedule.
The works of the third section of Line 3 North were awarded for over 173 million euros and are co-financed with European funds, as Line 3 North of the Seville Metro is a strategically important operation within the Andalusia Feder 2021-2027 Program. The route covers a length of 1,013 meters along Doctor Fedriani Avenue and San Juan de Ribera Street, ending at the intersection of the latter with Muñoz León Street, at the Historical Roundabout.
The solution, like the two sections currently under construction between Pino Montano and North Urban Roundabout, is the so-called ‘cut and cover’, a false tunnel between screens for double-track, except near the hospital, where the existing underground parking will be preserved using the tunneling technique. This passage under the hospital’s parking lot will be the deepest of Line 3 North, at 20 meters underground. It also includes the construction of a station next to the hospital, with its design considering its future role as an interchange, with the corresponding level prepared for the platforms of the future Line 4.
