The commission for the extension From the airport from El Prat Promotion of Treball that started in September last year has already completed its work. This Monday he presented his conclusions and, although it seemed that there were no more alternatives to grow the infrastructurethe employers’ association has surprised with a proposal that consists of lengthen the track of the Barcelona airfield above the La Ricarda lagoon with pylons. “Today is a historic day,” proclaimed the president of the employers’ association, Josep Sánchez-Llibre: “It’s now or never, we’re risking our future.”
The solution reached by expert commission consists of prolonging 840 meters in length the longest track close to the sea and thus reach the 3,500 meters that, remember, are needed so that “all airplanes” can use it. As this elongation affects the lake area, it would create a structure about 300 meters long by 200 meters wide “that would preserve underwater biodiversity.”
Similar to the track of the sea
This alternative, which has been developed by Esteyco engineeringis “similar” to the one proposed at the time by the group of engineers led by Joaquim Coelho, which proposed building a runway at sea to take on the increase in flights in El Prat. The length of the pylons would be shorter, 55 meters Tall.
At the moment, Foment del Treball does not know what exact cost this proposal to extend above La Ricarda would have, although, they estimate, it would be more than 263 million of euros that he calculated Aena to extend 500 meters on embankment. They expect it to increase between 100 and 200 million more.
Increase in height of the runway
The track would thus go from the current level of 3.26 meters above the sea at 6 meters. According to his calculations, it would be between 1.6 and 2.5 meters above the lake. It is, they say, a “highly viable” option, although they admit that it could affect the Port of Barcelona.
The expansion of the infrastructure port towards the south, with the placement of new cranescould interfere with the idea formulated by the commission of experts.
11 proposals analyzed
The president of the commission of experts, Lluis Moreno, has been in charge of breaking down the 11 proposals that have been analyzed. He wanted to highlight the work developed by the 49 active members of 21 entities who have participated in these analyzes and appearances for 13 months.
The civil engineer, who presides over the Chamber of Contractistes d’Obres de Catalunya (CCOC), has called it “botched” the proposal that the airport manager made at the time, Aenaand has also described the initiative as the sea track as “good” and “voluntary”, which could be carried out “within a few years”.
No “miracle” solutions
Moreno has shown a table with pros and cons of the 11 proposals and has warned that “there is no miracle solution” and that “consensus” will be required. Sanchez Llibre They had announced that they will send the 150-page conclusions to all administrations that have something to decide.
After Moreno’s intervention, it was the turn of the development director from Esteyco, Imma Estradawhich has detailed the pylons proposal in the sea that emerged after knowing Coelho’s. The civil engineer has focused on the environmental aspects and has warned that the airport is in an “exceptional” natural space. But, she added, “there are some who are degraded.”
Independent tracks
Both Estrada and Moreno have emphasized that another alternative would be operate with independent tracksbut this option would have an acoustic impact on the population of Gavà Mar and Castelldefelswhich has political repercussions that should be assessed, they have admitted.
The ecological reality in some places it is “desolate” because, he has warned, “natural connectivity” has been lost. in much of La Ricarda, has defended the Engineer Estrada. “It is not well managed and it is very difficult to recover it,” he complained and then described that the commission has made a proposal to reconnect the water wealth of the area with that of the Tow and the Filipinos. “Increasing the airport’s capacity is not at odds with good environmental treatment of the action,” she proclaimed.
Just one more
“We call on the administrations to study all the proposals but we do not opt for none”, he clarified Sanchez Llibre. Foment del Treball wants to avoid being attributed a single idea regarding the expansion of the airport, although the idea of the pylons is their only one.
“The proposal is one more, but it is the only one that allows maintain the volume of travelers because with Aena, 2% of the ticket was lost, which is millions of euros,” added Lluís Moreno.
A silent job
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The president of the Unió Federacions Esportives Catalunya (UFEC), Gerard Esteva, closed the event on behalf of all the entities that participated in the commission. “We have shown that we can work in silence and with rigor,” he assured.
“We have specified a road map in which we have empathized with the different proposals even though we did not agree with each other,” Esteva described.