The TF-176 road upgrade will focus on improving safety while protecting the palm trees lining the route
The Tenerife Cabildo and La Orotava Town Hall have agreed to do everything possible to preserve the palm trees along the TF-176 in El Rincón as the road undergoes a major refurbishment.
Technical teams from both administrations recently met to discuss the project and, in particular, how the work can be carried out without unnecessarily removing the trees.
Protecting the palm trees
La Orotava Town Hall has called for a detailed survey of the palm trees along the route so their condition and exact location can be properly assessed before work begins.
The two administrations will first look at technical solutions that allow the trees to remain where they are.
Only where this isn’t possible will transplanting be considered.
The priority is therefore to keep as many of the existing palm trees as possible in their current locations, while still meeting the safety and technical requirements of the road project.
What will happen to the TF-176?
The project covers around 1.5 kilometres of the TF-176, between kilometres 0+000 and 1+500.
The work has a budget of €741,908 and is expected to take around four months.
The road currently has various problems with its pavement, so the project will include resurfacing and complete replacement of sections where necessary.
It will also involve improvements to road signs and affected infrastructure, including monitoring stations and utility access points.
The project is currently in its initial approval phase and is available for public consultation.
An important route into El Rincón
The TF-176 is the main road connecting El Rincón with junction 32 of the TF-5.
It is also the route used to access some of the area’s best-known beaches, including El Bollullo, El Ancón and Los Patos.
With significant pedestrian traffic around these areas, improving the condition and safety of the road is important.
But so is keeping the character of El Rincón intact.
For now, the message from both administrations is that the palm trees should stay wherever the technical requirements allow it.