The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Architecture and Housing commissioned these works to clear the GC-605 from the collapse of earth and stones weighing more than 25 tons caused last week by Storm Olivier.
The Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure, Architecture and Housing, headed by Vice President Augusto Hidalgo, has put out an emergency tender for the works to clear, repair, and return to operation the section of the GC-605 road between Ayacata and the Las Niñas Dam, which was affected by a significant landslide caused by the rains left by Storm Olivier last week in Gran Canaria.
With this urgent action, Public Works seeks to clear this 25-meter stretch of road, at kilometer 5, which is currently covered by tons of earth and rocks that fell from the slopes surrounding the road. From one of these slopes, the one most affected by the rain and almost 20 meters high, rocks weighing more than 25 tons each fell, completely blocking the road. In fact, the City Council maintains and will continue to maintain closed access to the GC-605 from the junction with the GC-60 in Ayacata (Tejeda) while these works are in progress.
The works that the Department of Public Works has just contracted to a specialized company on an emergency basis will first remove all the rocks and earth from the landslide and then ensure the stability of the slope that caused the collapse. This will require workers secured with harnesses from the top of the slope to clean up the rock face (by removing the stones that were left halfway down). These 25 meters of slope will then be covered with a triple-twisted mesh net to prevent small and medium-sized rocks from rolling back onto the road. This safety net will be completed with the installation of steel bar anchors (bolts) that will reinforce the slope to prevent the fall of large rocks, as happened last week.
With the work already contracted, the company that will carry it out will begin this week to place the road signs and gather materials and machinery in the area to begin clearing debris from the road and preparing the rest of the tasks for this emergency operation just after the Easter weekend.
Due to the magnitude of the collapse, both in linear meters and volume, and the complexity of the operations required to secure the slope, this road is expected to remain closed to vehicle traffic for at least two months. Residents and visitors wishing to use the Las Niñas Dam recreational area can easily access the GC-605 from Mogán. However, the road also remains closed from the recreational area toward Ayacata.
