The new branches of the Kukularra interchange enter service

The new Kukularra link branches, which connect La Avanzada (Leioa) and the Rontegui bridge with the Txorierri corridor, have come into service today after two years of work. This link is the busiest in Bizkaia, where they pass 160,000 vehicles per day. The investment of these two years of works amounts to 11 million of euros.

The new branches are aimed at increasing the capacity of the node and alleviating traffic jams at La Avanzada. A second lane traffic from the La Avanzada-Txorierri branch and a new underpass has been enabled from Rontegui to the Txorierri corridor, as well as an escape route for the Rontegui-Enekuri section.

The remodeling of the branches has improved their road safety, by eliminating the existing braiding in the Txorierri corridor. That braiding caused braking, which was not only a serious security problem, but also slowed down the march of vehicles at peak times.

The Deputy for Infrastructure and Territorial Development, Imanol Pradales, explained that the work “has not been without difficulties.” “The workers have had to act at a junction surrounded by traffic and keep the highway in service, minimizing the effects, for which numerous actions have been carried out at night,” he added. Likewise, he recalled that the land has services such as drainage and telecommunications, and presents “geotechnical instabilities and uncertainties.”

Getxo-Sestao tunnel

The work, which began in October 2019, responds to the lack of alternatives to the Rontegui bridge until it is built the tunnel under the estuary, connecting Getxo and Sestao. Meanwhile, the Department of Infrastructures and Territorial Development has confirmed that this project “continues to advance”. Works for the tunnel are expected to begin in 2024 and enter service in 2028.