La Junta de Andalucía connects Jerez de la Frontera and La Barca de la Florida with a 24-kilometer cycle and pedestrian path. The Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing, Rocío Díaz, visited, alongside the mayor, María José García-Pelayo, the new cycling and pedestrian connection parallel to the A-2003 road, which is already in operation after an investment of 5.3 million euros, co-financed with Next Generation European funds. During her visit, the Minister of Development also announced the bidding of a new contract that will provide more lighting to the section of the cycle and pedestrian path between Jerez de la Frontera and Estella del Marqués, as requested by the residents.
Rocío Díaz pointed out that this new cycle and pedestrian path «meets the challenge that the residents of Estella del Marques, La Barca de la Florida, and other nearby towns have been requesting for 17 years: to have a path that connects them by bike and on foot, and protects them from the risk of vehicle traffic.» «We have settled the historical debt with these residents with the largest investment in bike lanes that the Junta de Andalucía has made in all of Andalucía, excluding the Eurovelo 8 cycle tourism route,» she stated.
The Minister also congratulated the residents for many years of struggle, especially when the construction of this connection was halted in 2012. In this regard, Rocío Díaz emphasized that the Government of Juanma Moreno «has been responsive to their requests and resumed the works, first with a solid, consensus-based project, and later with the necessary European funds for its execution.»
Furthermore, the Minister informed that as a result of dialogue with the residents and awareness of their needs, the Ministry of Development has tendered a new contract worth 216,464 euros to provide lighting to a two-kilometer section of this cycle and pedestrian path between Jerez de la Frontera and Estella del Marqués. «There are many residents who use this route during nighttime hours and it was a matter of road safety,» Rocío Díaz warned. Thus, the Ministry of Development plans to install four-meter columns and solar lights along the route (kilometers 2 to 4). This contract, funded by European Feder 2021-2027 funds, will feature non-polluting lighting and harness solar radiation to minimize CO2 emissions.
Jerez Mayor, María José García-Pelayo, highlighted that this is a «very important project for the rural area of Jerez and, therefore, for the entire municipality.» The mayor expressed gratitude to the Minister «for always being with Jerez» and emphasized that today is a «day to celebrate after years of waiting.»
García-Pelayo also recalled that «first, the road works were carried out to make it safer, and now this bike lane, in addition to the important elevated bridges to connect both areas of the road.» She hopes that «residents enjoy it because it was a historical demand, and it is an honor to be here as mayor, demonstrating that it is already a reality, because when we listen to residents and administrations come together, leave aside conflicts, and extend a hand to work, things are done properly.»
Rocío Díaz and the mayor were accompanied on this visit by the Deputy Minister of Development, Mario Muñoz-Atanet; the Government Delegate of the Junta in Cádiz, Mercedes Colombo; the Government Subdelegate of Spain in the province, Blanca Flores, and the Territorial Delegate of Development in Cádiz, Carmen Sánchez, among other authorities. Residents and members of the A-2003 platform also attended.