This new 10-kilometer route will be fully operational by the end of April.
Construction on the Cieza Flowering Greenway, a 10-kilometer stretch, is nearing its final stretch after five months of construction. The work, scheduled for completion by the end of April, includes the installation of a walkway over the Galán ravine, a drainage system, signage, wooden barriers, rest areas, and the planting of 500 trees.
In addition, connections have been marked to make the network more functional. Thus, the new route will connect, from its end at the border with Calasparra, to the El Picarcho ecotourism route, which in turn connects to the Chicharra Cieza Greenway, thus creating a circular route through this northern part of Cieza.
The Minister for the Presidency, Tourism, Culture, Youth, Sports, and Spokesperson, Marcos Ortuño, who visited the construction site today, emphasized that "the regional government's goal with this new trail is to enhance the range of active tourism and contact with nature and promote hiking and cycling, creating synergies with events such as the flowering season."
Likewise, "we are reinforcing our commitment to greenways as tourism resources that promote healthy, active, and sustainable experiences, in line with the 2022-2032 Strategic Tourism Plan," Ortuño added.
This project is expected to take six months to complete and has a budget of nearly one million euros, 80 percent of which comes from ERDF funds.
More than half a million users
Currently, the Murcia Region's Greenways Network spans more than 175 kilometers, which were used by nearly 540,000 users in 2022. These routes "boost the tourism sector, generate economic activity in bars, shops, and accommodations, and attract tourism," Ortuño stated.
The network includes the Northwest Greenways, Campo de Cartagena, Mazarrón, Embarcadero de El Hornillo in Águilas, Almendricos, Chicharra Cieza, and Chicharra Yecla, and are routes that can be enjoyed both on foot and by bicycle.
Meanwhile, work has already begun connecting the Chicharra greenways between Yecla and Cieza. The work will primarily consist of marking the route in both directions, with the necessary continuity signs and informative and interpretive signs. It also includes the occasional repair of several sections, drainage improvements, safety features, and some tree planting. It will feature nine rest areas, three information areas, and four viewing points.
This new 54-kilometer route has a three-month construction period and a budget of €150,000, 80 percent of which comes from ERDF funds.
Investment in greenways, within the ERDF program, including the Floración greenway, already amounts to approximately 4.7 million euros.