Parc de Ses Estacions widens its boundaries

PALMA
NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisations which have been campaigning for the boundaries of Parc de Ses Estacions in central Palma to be significantly extended have won the day, although it will be two years before work is completed.

Palma's councillor for Transport, Francisco Donate, meeting with representatives of ARCA, ecologist group GOB, the Balearics Official College of Architects (COIB) and various residents' associations, described the basic outline of the future “green swathe” to be landscaped at Jacint Verdaguer. The project will connect the Plaza España with S'Indiotera via four kilometres of uninterrupted parkland. Divided into two sections, the first stage will run from the Pont des Tren to the Son Fuster roundabout (next to Makro), and the second from the Via Cintura to S'Indiotera. Companies have until March to present their tenders for each of the projects. For the first project, the number of constructors which have put in a bid will be filtered down according to the quality of their credentials, the feasibility studies which they have undertaken and the related accuracy of their quotations. The contract should have been awarded at the beginning of summer, although the work will not be started until 2009. Putting pedestrian walkways over the roads is one of the solutions to ensure continuity, said Donate. He added it was a real pity that they did not have the permission of the Balearic Government to put the train lines underground as far as Son Forteza, some 400 metres further up the line, which would make the development of the open parkland considerably easier. It will be after Easter week 2009 when work will commence on the “green corridor” and may take between six and twelve months to complete. Palma's authorities are anxious that the construction programme will not cause a lot of annoyance to surrounding residents and citizens who frequent the area on a daily basis. The bidding will be in two phases but will be dealt with simultaneously. The stretch, from Es Pont des Tren to Son Forteza responds to campaigning by the Plataforma del Parc de Ses Vies. The other stretch will join the Via Cintura, Via Asima and S'Indiotera.