A road over lava
The volcanic eruption of the Tajogaite volcano, in the Cumbrevieja Natural Park, paralyzed La Palma and Spain as a whole during the 85 days of its activity. The consequences were devastating. The figures speak for themselves, as more than 7,000 people had to be evacuated, but many others were also affected to some extent by the volcano's eruption and the connection between certain points of the island was paralyzed, as the lava destroyed the existing infrastructure.
Faced with this situation, Dragados took on the responsibility of recovering the road connection in the Aridane valley, specifically between Tazacorte and Puerto Naos. This road would eventually become one of the ACS Group's major milestones. A conventional road of these characteristics had never been built over recently created lava.
Dragados was the only company qualified to carry out this work. In an extreme environment, with temperatures reaching over 500ºC in some points, adverse atmospheric conditions as a consequence of the emission of noxious gases and in a highly unstable terrain under which lava cavities could be located and on which heavy machinery was placed, Dragados was able to successfully complete one of its most emblematic projects.
It did so in part thanks to the use of technology, which has been key to optimizing time, resources and safety for people. Drones and the use of georadar were essential to analyze the situation.
The project has become a worldwide benchmark that also stands out for a sustainable approach, as material from the volcanic eruption was reused.