• Location: A-44, Ízbor – Vélez Section (Granada – Spain) SEE MAP
• Scope of works: Construction Detailed Design, Technical Assistance during the construction
• Client: Ministerio de Fomento; Acciona Infraestructuras
• Date of project: 2002
• Opening date: 2009
• Main features: Detailed design of the Motorway structures, including 5 important viaducts
• Length of the section: 10 km

The “Tropical Coast Highway” A-44 is a motorway in Spain owned by the “Red de Carreteras del Estado”, connecting Bailen (Jaén) with La Gorgoracha (Granada).

The Izbor-Vélez section of the motorway is 10 km long, and was opened in 2009. Some special structures were needed, due to the complicated topography and the existence of the Rules reservoir.

TORROJA INGENIERÍA did the Detailed Design of the structures of that section, including 6 underpasses of roads and tracks and especially noteworthy are 5 important viaducts each of them having an overall length of more than 100 m. These 5 viaducts are: Rules, Las Lomas, Guadalfeo, Miranda and Vicario.

A Modified Construction Project was produced for the Contractor where some typologies of the bridges were changed. TORROJA INGENIERIA S.L also did the Construction Design and the Technical Assistance during the construction work of the following bridges.

THE GUADALFEO VIADUCT (now called the Rules Reservoir Viaduct): it is a bridge with a single deck 24 m wide and an overall length of 585 m. The deck is a continuous steel truss; the depth of the deck is 9,55 m and the transverse cross section of the truss has a “W” shape. Over the steel truss a concrete slab 30 cm thick is positioned. The total length is divided into 5 spans; the spans are 85+140+140+110+110 m long.

THE VICARIO VIADUCT: the deck is 24 m wide; the total length is 175 m divided into two spans that are 87,5 m long. The deck is a steel box continuous girder, with a concrete top slab. The steel box is 8,0 m wide, and 4,2 m deep.

Both bridges were constructed by launching the steel deck from one abutment.