Adif Alta Velocidad has awarded a Temporary Union of Companies formed by ACS, Rover and Tecsa the execution of the works of the construction plans of the new access channel to integrate high speed in the city of Valencia, expand and remodel the station Joaquín Sorolla and the expansion of its car park.
The contract has been signed for a total of 443.4 million euros, VAT included, to Dragados, a subsidiary of Florentino Pérez’s construction company, with a 45% stake in the joint venture; to Rover Infraestructuras, 20%; Rover Rail, 20% and Tecsa Empresa Constructora, with 15%, considering Adif “the offer with the best value for money”. Acciona, Comsa, CHM and Grupo Bertolin had also entered the contest under another consortium that came in second place; OHLA, Aldesa, Construcciones Sánchez Domínguez and Becsa, in third place; Copasa, Azvi, Vias y Construcciones and Torrescamara, in fourth; and Sacyr, Ferrovial, FCC and Pavasal in last place.
Adif Alta Velocidad tendered on August 2 the works of the construction project with an estimated budget of 453.7 million euros, five days after the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, the President of the Generalitat , Ximo Puig, and the mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó, signed the canal agreement with an investment of 550 million euros for eight actions, which will make it possible to “materialize the urban metamorphosis” of the city and “promote the Mediterranean Corridor”, according to indicated. The forecast is that the works begin in the first quarter of 2023.
As stated in the file, the works include the new access channel for the integration of high speed in the city, the expansion and remodeling of the Valencia Joaquín Sorolla station and the expansion of its parking lot. Specifically, the action begins in the tunnels already built in the South Junction, at Avenida Fernando Abril Martorrel, extending to Giorgeta until it connects with the current Joaquín Sorolla and Valencia Norte station.
The solution included in the three projects contemplates the burying of all the access roads to the North and Joaquín Sorolla stations, giving continuity to the tunnels already executed in the South Junction; the expansion of the passenger building of the current Joaquín Sorolla station and expansion of the car park to adapt to the new beach of tracks and platforms defined in the New Access Channel project.
During the signing of the agreement, Minister Raquel Sánchez highlighted that, if around 3.8 million annual passengers currently pass through the station, it is expected, according to the demand studies carried out, that “in five years the figure of the 8.7 million”. The award also occurs after the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Appeals agreed in September to provisionally suspend the procedure based on the appeal filed by the National Construction Confederation against the tender for the project. In October, Adif Alta Velocidad eliminated the clause that had motivated the appeal.
