The project cost 348,000 euros, of which the Cieza City Council contributed 69,000 euros and the remainder was co-financed by European ERDF funds within the framework of the EDUSI Cieza 2025 Integrative City.
The mayor, Pascual Lucas, and the councilors for Works, European Projects and Finance, Francisco Saorín, María Jesús López and Antonio Martínez-Real, visited the new boulevard this Wednesday after its opening to the public a few days ago.
Lucas commented that "a new recreational space has been gained for the city. A total of 2,000 square meters for the enjoyment of all citizens, created after covering the third section of the El Realejo promenade, from Camino de Murcia to Avenida de Abarán. With this, the city is gradually gaining pedestrian space, something that the European Union is currently demanding."
The councilor added that "this is one more project within the EDUSI strategy that is being implemented, with a few more to be carried out during the next two years."
"The satisfaction is twofold, both because of the new infrastructure and because the company that carried it out was from Cieza, meaning the project has generated employment in and for our municipality," Pascual Lucas concluded.
For his part, the Councilor for Public Works, Francisco Saorín, pointed out that "this is a new urban space for the use and enjoyment of the residents of Cieza, created from a neglected area that was causing us many problems." He specified that the new pedestrian zone includes street furniture such as benches for people to rest, and also features a children's playground. Finally, he indicated that the planted trees will provide shade to the new area in the near future.
Finally, the Councillor for European Projects, María Jesús López, emphasized that "we are now seeing the fruits of a journey that began in 2015 with the well-known EDUSI (Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategy) that we have mentioned so often. These 5 million euros from ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) funds, allocated to the municipality of Cieza, have already benefited from projects such as covering the previous section of this same dry riverbed, the renovation of the old courthouse and the Cieza Town Hall, in addition to the construction of this new section, which has now been completed. Other projects are underway, such as the renovation of the Géneros de Punto Cultural Centre, the future restoration of the Casa de la Encomienda (Commander's House), and the upcoming covering and construction of a pavilion at the José Marín School, along with the planned pedestrianization of the Paseo (promenade)." All these projects are part of a set of very important actions for Cieza that satisfy us and encourage us to continue working on programs such as the city's urban agenda, as well as on presenting new projects and attracting new European investment for the municipality. Residents can see that Europe is closer than it might seem.
The covering and improvement of the El Realejo riverbed is an action that has addressed numerous demands from local residents. This project resolves the problems of difficulty in cleaning, unsightliness, and unsanitary conditions of the now-buried canal, as well as its visual impact, successfully integrating this space as a green recreational area for children and adults.
The covering has been carried out in four phases, the last three co-financed by the ERDF within the framework of the EDUSI Cieza 2025 Inclusive City project. The first two sections were completed in 2009 and 2017 respectively, covering the area from Juan XXIII Street to Camino de Murcia. This final phase completes the covering of the Rambla up to Abarán Avenue.
After the construction of the platform, it has been adapted for urban use as a place for recreation and walking, for both adults and children, favoring the integration of this surface in the urban context in which it is located and the permeability of pedestrian flows between the different streets that are now divided by the existing channeling of the El Realejo ravine.
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