Completion Date Extended For Torrevieja Port Side Renovations

[Carl]

Some work complete, other outstanding. Last completion date given was 15 June, now 15 August.

Looking at the video in the article, the outstanding work is limited to the area near the Tabarca ferry mooring.

https://www.informacion.es/vega-baja/20 ... 01473.html

Google translate, minus video and images:

New delay in the Torrevieja port works: the completion of the bay's seafront promenade is postponed to August 15th

The company awarded the project, which represents an investment of 5 million, justifies the request based on the changes imposed by the Generalitat and once again points to the Leisure Centre.

The Torrevieja local government board approved last Friday the second modification to the contract for the renovation works on the fishing pier's quayside and the urbanization of the area surrounding the Mínguez Wharf, awarded to the company González Soto. The firm won the bid for five million euros with an improvement that guaranteed it could reduce the execution period from five to four months. The City Council awarded the contract in November 2025. The contract's formalization date, used to officially start the timeframe, is not included in the public documentation of the project file.

It's not the first time

With this decision, the planned completion date is now August 15, 2026. This is not the first extension. The records show that the governing board already approved a previous extension on March 30, 2026, which at that time set the final date for the project as June 15 of this year.

Most of the promenade, where the paving with white natural stone is already complete, has been open to the public this past weekend for the inauguration of the Paseo del Mar leisure center . Although still in a precarious state, with a partial handover approved by the governing board on June 11th, it covers 1,192 square meters of the promenade and 2,409 square meters of the area surrounding the pier and the Customs building. The works include the redevelopment of the quayside of the old fishing pier, where the old bollards have been retained more for cost-saving reasons than for preservation. The lighting is not working. The most delayed phase of these works is the one affecting the area around the Customs building, where a fountain and an area to relocate some of the hippie craft stalls are planned.

These works are in addition to the rehabilitation of the Mínguez pier, valued at €2.1 million after a 50% increase in its initial budget. This project, intended to enhance the value of local heritage, was undermined by the municipal and regional government authorizations for the construction of a parking lot for the Royal Yacht Club on the water's western bank and the enormous pedestrian ramp for the shopping center on the wall now exposed by these works, to the east. The deadline for completing these works was already extended a few weeks ago.

he new extension is justified by causes that the technical report considers unforeseen, unavoidable, and not attributable to the winning bidder. The document states that the delays are not due to any breach of contract by the contractor, but rather to changes that arose during the execution of the work.

One of the main reasons is the change in criteria established by the Directorate General of Ports, Airports and Coasts of the Valencian Regional Government regarding various aspects of the original project . These observations affected, among other things, accessibility, paving, facilities, affected services, street furniture, landscaping, and coordination with the Leisure Centre.

Reality of the work

The report explains that these recommendations necessitate adapting solutions already planned in the project to the physical reality of the construction and the future operation of the port area. Therefore, the City Council maintains that this is not simply a reconsideration of the initial design, but rather adjustments resulting from the technical oversight of the port authority.

The second reason is related to the changes made to the Paseo del Mar Leisure Centre, located next to the project area. According to the file, this construction modified the drainage of the access ramp, some pillars, and the final levels of the paving, which necessitates adapting the landscaping of the cliff face as well.

Stormwater drainage network

As a result of these changes, part of the pavement is redesigned, smaller pieces are used to adapt to the new slopes, planters not initially planned are incorporated, and a new stormwater drainage network is implemented to facilitate water evacuation.

Regarding the budget, the certificate consulted does not include a specific figure nor does it detail an increase in the contract cost . The document mentions the budget within the technical observations and project adjustments, but the approved modification refers to the execution timeframe, not a new monetary amount. This does not preclude, as has already occurred in previous cases of contract extensions for port-related works, the possibility of a subsequent request for an extension.

The legal report is in favor of the extension, although it notes that it has not been sufficiently proven that the procedure was carried out within the maximum period of fifteen days from the cause of the delay. Even so, it considers it appropriate to grant the extension in the public interest and to guarantee the proper completion of the contract.

Partial reception

On June 11, hours before the opening of the leisure center, the local governing board also approved a partial acceptance of the work on the esplanade of the fairgrounds - a significant percentage of the work is yet to be completed - with the aim of opening to the public some 5,600 square meters of the more than 15,000 where work is being carried out.

To date, none of the delays in the port area redevelopment works, representing an investment of over €40 million, have resulted in any penalties for the contractors. In most cases, these delays have been accompanied by budget increases. This was the case with the Mínguez Wharf, the construction of the pedestrian esplanade replacing the old Paseo de La Libertad (where the amusement park will be located), and the construction of the access to the Levante dock and its connection to the Leisure Center. The renovation of the Levante dock promenade was also delayed by more than six months, although without a budget increase. These delays were resolved with reports from municipal technicians confirming that they were justified for various reasons.

An unknown concession

The changes mentioned in the concession granted by the Generalitat's Directorate General of Ports have not been explained by the City Council. The Generalitat is the competent authority for regulating the use of the port's public domain, which it manages directly, and its surrounding area, the first urban stretch adjacent to the port. The Consell granted the concession to the City Council to carry out the works, but neither administration has made public the terms of the concession nor the modifications that have been incorporated during the construction.