This year—an election year—the Ministry of Public Works will move forward with construction projects and initiatives that were pending in the province. Some of these are long-standing requests. This is the case with the extension of the commuter rail line to Estepona and the construction of the rail ring line. The minister, who visited the capital on Tuesday, provided an update on these projects.
Now that the economic study has been completed and the route has been finalized, the Ministry of Public Works will continue with the project throughout the year, with the intention of putting the design work out to bid, Pastor explained.
That wasn't the only announcement. The minister also highlighted her intention to resume work on another major project pending implementation in the province: the Antequera rail loop. This project was proposed as a public-private partnership but has been stalled due to a lack of interest from companies.
The government plans to issue a new public call for bids, with updated terms and conditions, to select a contractor to build and operate this infrastructure, which will enable the testing of new railway equipment. It plans to do so next week.
The country’s top official in charge of Public Works has also confirmed her intention to launch the high-speed train between Antequera and Granada before the end of 2015, «provided there are no technical problems,» she specified.
This year, the government plans to build the AVE bypass in Almodóvar del Río, Córdoba, to connect Málaga and Seville in less than an hour.
