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Cartagena’s cycling network is set for a welcome boost, as the City Hall has just approved a new bike lane to link Espacio Algameca with Calle Real. This stretch has long been flagged by local cyclists and mobility groups as a weak spot in the city’s otherwise growing urban cycleways.

 

Plans for the connection, which will start at Calle Pío XII by the Quitapellejos Bridge, have now gone out to tender with a base budget of just over 135,000 euros. Companies interested in taking on the work have until Wednesday September 3 to submit their offers, and whoever gets the job will have a three-month window to complete the project.

 

The new lane aims to make life easier for residents of the Concepción neighbourhood, allowing them to better tap into the main cycle network along Real Street. This will also help link up with the Barrio Peral Greenway, and in future, connect to the Campo de Cartagena Greenway, opening up more green and sustainable routes for both everyday and leisure cyclists.

 

As part of the works, pavements and footpaths will be spruced up, and streetlights will be relocated, complete with new underground lighting channels. The route itself will use high-resistance surfaces specifically designed for bikes, while techniques will be applied to lower the area’s environmental footprint - including efforts to reduce the “heat island” effect that’s common in busy urban spots.

 

This project comes under the umbrella of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), as part of Spain’s push for more sustainable, low-emission urban transport. It reflects ongoing efforts in Cartagena to create more joined-up and environmentally friendly pathways throughout the city.

 

Local cyclists will be hoping that, as with other recent improvements on the old Águilas road near Lorca, this new lane will help plug another gap in the Region’s cycling infrastructure, creating safer, smoother journeys right in the city’s heart.

 

 

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