Commissioning of the Calicasas-Albolote section of the A-44 Sierra Nevada-Costa Tropical highway
April 6, 2015
Last 30 March, traffic began along the Calicasas-Albolote route, section one of the External Granada Bypass, constructed by OHL and covering the Valley of Granada between its link with today’s A-44 and the A-92. The corridor, 5.8 km long, is located more westward than the current N-323 (Bailén-Motril) in order to reduce traffic congestion in Granada’s current ring road, constituting an alternative for long-distance traffic between Madrid and Motril; and between Málaga and Motril.
The route begins at Embalse de Cubillas (north of El Chaparral), where it joins Granada’s current ring road, and finishes near the Albolote town center, where it joins the A-92 highway.
Amongst other solutions, the road infrastructure includes a pergola 114 m long to overcome the intersection with Moreda-Granada railway line; and an underpass executed with large-diameter pile screens, according to the “false tunnel” method, to overcome the intersection with A-92 highway. This structure, consisting of two panels and a surface area of more than 3,000m2, connects Branch 1 (A-92 link) joining the A-92 (Murcia) to the A-44 (Motril).
Aerial view of the A-44 highway. Calicasas-Albolote section.