Press Release – Visit to the start of construction on the accessible sidewalk along the north-south axis

Institutional representatives of the Islantilla Commonwealth visit the start of construction on the new accessible sidewalk for the north-south connection of this tourist center

The project, with an investment of €498,521.60, is financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU Funds, and will be completed in early 2026.

The Islantilla tourist area will have two new accessible sidewalks by early 2026, allowing north-south connections in this enclave shared by the municipalities of Lepe and Isla Cristina. This will happen once the works are completed, the start of which was visited by institutional representatives from both town councils as the official launch of this important project. The project represents an investment of €498,521.60, financed entirely through the European Union's NextGenerationEU Funds and the 'Between Green and Blue' Tourism Sustainability Plan.

The Executive Vice President of the Islantilla Commonwealth and First Deputy Mayor of Isla Cristina, Francisco Zamudio, explained the background of this action, recalling that “when this urban development project was born in the 1990s, there was still no specific regulatory framework regarding accessibility and the elimination of architectural barriers. On the contrary, priority was given to preserving the natural environment and avoiding cement sidewalks, which, moreover, were the most practical for those who came to this destination to play golf with those special shoes with spiked soles. Nowadays, everything has changed, as have the needs of our residents, who have demanded that we move towards a more accessible model of urban planning, and with this intervention we have been sensitive to that demand, which we understand to be reasonable.”.

For her part, the Deputy Mayor of Lepe, Mariana Otero, delegated to the Commonwealth, has announced that “these works will affect two of the main roads connecting the north and south of Islantilla, specifically the Paseo del Golf, from the 'La Hacienda' Shopping Centre to Plaza Manuel Camacho, and the Paseo del Barranco del Moro continuing with the Paseo de la Vera to the roundabout of the Congress Palace, so that the Golf Club will also be connected to the south, serving two of the main centers of visitor traffic to our destination.‘.

The company in charge of this project is TR Construya SLU, and the deadline for completion is early 2026, by which time these new roads are expected to be in service for residents and visitors.

The project will involve work on the trees, the public lighting network and the water supply, taking advantage of the construction to improve both and to incorporate street furniture that will create rest areas for pedestrians.

The importance of this action lies in the fact that it represents an improvement for the destination as it will allow for necessary mobility from a sustainability point of view, offering residents and visitors an alternative to motorized transport, and, therefore, directly impacting the environment, in line with Islantilla's commitment to respecting the environment, which is always present in this project.

The construction of these two accessible sidewalk axes adds to the pilot project already initiated by the Islantilla Association with its own funds in a part of the Paseo del Barranco del Moro, and represents a synergy with other actions included in the Sustainability Plan, such as the climate adaptation of Islantilla, the creation of the transversal bike lane between Urbasur and La Antilla, the future electric vehicle service, the installation of parking areas with charging for electric scooters and bicycles, as well as the project to revitalize and promote nautical activities and blue tourism.

The Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destination 'Between Green and Blue', integrated into the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, is financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU Funds, and represents an investment of 2,589,440 euros in the area of Islantilla, Lepe and Isla Cristina channeled through the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of the Government of Spain, and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía.

Its implementation is being carried out by different Areas and Departments of the Commonwealth of Islantilla, in collaboration with the City Councils of Lepe and Isla Cristina.