Aperribai´s neighbors can use from today, Wednesday, July 22nd, the footbridge over the Ibaizabal river that will communicate Basauri with Galdakao while the works of renovation of the Urbi bridge continue.
In order to minimize the inconvenience to users of the demolition of the viaduct, the Basque Water Agency (URA) through Viuda de Sainz, has enabled a footbridge to cross the river. This access is through the Bridgestone Bridge and across the road margin enabled between this bridge and Urbi.
They have also begun the works for the construction of the new bridge with the realization of the micro piles that are located under the footbridge and that will be part of the future bridge´s abutments. Thus, the dismantle of the pedestrian walkway will only be carried on when the beams on the outside of the bridge abutments have to be placed.
Channelling of the Ibaizabal-Nerbioi River
This is one of the actions being carried out by URA under the frame of the improvements of the Urbi-Bengoetxe section. In this second phase of the channeling of the Ibaizabal river, URA´s main objective is to eliminate risks posed by the inadequate drainage flow.
Safety to control the floods of the Ibaizabal
The replenishment on course -along with recently replaced Bridgestone Bridge, the demolition of the dam of Urbi and the expansion of the hydraulic section of the Ibaziabal River in the stretch already being carried out- will eliminate the risks posed by the insufficient drainage capacity of the channel across the industrial areas of Basauri-Galdakao and Zarátamo.
The viaduct now affected by the Channelling project of the Ibaizabal has three equal installments of 20 meters long and 9.80 meters wide, supported in stirrups and two intermediate batteries that not being aligned to the Ibaizabal river hindered the flow of the water, creating an elevation of the blade of water in high water episodes.
Construction of the new bridge
The new bridge will have a higher hydraulic capacity. It shall be provided to the maximum possible width at the location (13,60 meters) and consist of two lanes of 3.30 meters, two sidewalks of 2.50 meters each and a cycle path of 2 meters wide.
The fact of moving from the current 9.80 meters wide to the final 13.60 meters, affects how to execute the work and that the difference of 3.80 meters of space has prevented to install a parallel footbridge to the bridge. Hence there has been a need to adapt the way of the margin next to the pedestrian bridge.
It will consist also of two lanes of 3.30 meters, two sidewalks of 2.50 meters each and a walkway of two meters wide.
One-step to the renewal
The Urbi bridge located over the Ibaizabal river connects the 634 National Highway with Urbi Street, formerly called Avenue of the Third of Lacar. The axis of the river in the area constitutes the boundary between the municipalities of Galdakao and Basauri.
Built in 1935 by the Provincial Council of Biscay and got by the involved municipalities in 1936, it was not damaged in 1937, being protected by sandbags during the war. On June 15, 1937 it served to access to Basauri to the Third of Lacar of the the First Brigade of Navarre coming from the heights of Santa Marina.
On July 1938, the council repaired the paving of the bridge and its access road to the Bolueta Highway to Galdakao (CN-634) and in 1941 the City Council of Basauri in collaboration with companies of the area, urbanized the current Urbi Street from the Urbi Bridge to the Ariz bridge.
