The Cabildo will request the temporary cession of the Arrieta footbridge to restore it

The Cabildo of Lanzarote will request from the Haría City Council the temporary cession of the pedestrian walkway located on La Garita beach, in Arrieta, with the objective of carrying out the necessary actions for its restoration and subsequent maintenance, thus allowing its reopening for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

The decision responds to the commitment of the island Corporation to collaborate with the island's city councils in the conservation of public interest infrastructures, especially those linked to citizen and tourist use. The walkway, built by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Directorate General of Tourist Infrastructure, and whose rehabilitation involved an investment of 400,000.00 euros, is currently closed due to its poor state of conservation.

The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, has pointed out that “this infrastructure has become a symbol for Arrieta and for all of Lanzarote, so we cannot allow it to continue deteriorating. Our objective is to recover it so that it is once again at the service of the citizens and those who visit this unique enclave of the Lanzarote coast”.

“Although the maintenance and conservation of this facility corresponds to the Haría City Council, from the Cabildo we extend a hand to collaborate and undertake this action because we understand that the recovery of emblematic public spaces must be placed above any other administrative consideration. The important thing is that residents and visitors can once again enjoy this space with all safety guarantees,” added Betancort.

The initiative is based on a technical report issued by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, at the request of the Security and Emergencies Consortium, in which it is concluded that “the walkway is deteriorated by abandonment and lack of maintenance”. The document recommends keeping access to the infrastructure closed until the necessary repairs are carried out and warns that the continued action of the sea and the absence of conservation work will continue to aggravate the existing damage.

Among the main conclusions of the report, the need to replace essential safety elements as soon as possible is established, such as the railings, the decking, and other structural components affected by the passage of time and permanent exposure to the marine environment.

“We are talking about a unique tourist infrastructure, integrated into the coastal landscape of Arrieta and highly valued by both the local population and those who visit us. We want to prevent it from continuing to deteriorate and guarantee its conservation for future generations,” concluded the president of the Cabildo.