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A dirt road that had been wearing residents down for months has finally been given a proper surface. The Ayuntamiento of Almería has completed work on Camino del Perdigal in the El Alquián neighbourhood, a 220 metre stretch running alongside the dry riverbed that locals and farmers had long wanted improved.

 

The project cost just over €38,000 and covered the full five metre width of the road. Crews cleared and prepared the ground before laying a layer of asphalt over what had previously been bare earth.

 

Mayor María del Mar Vázquez visited the site once the work was done, accompanied by Juan José Segura, Councillor for Agriculture, Water and Green Spaces, along with several local residents. She described it as fulfilling "a commitment we made to the residents during one of our visits to every corner of the city."

 

The push for this particular road came from people who actually use it day to day. Vázquez explained that residents and farmers had asked for the improvement specifically so they'd have "an emergency exit in case of any weather incident and thus avoid being isolated or in danger." It's the kind of practical request that makes sense once you understand what's been happening locally: heavy rain over recent months had left the unpaved track in a poor state, prone to becoming difficult or even risky to use.

 

"This road, which was previously unpaved, had deteriorated significantly in recent months due to heavy rains, so as soon as we were informed of this need, we started working on the project to make it a reality as quickly as possible," Vázquez said. She added that the resurfaced road will now let residents get in and out of their neighbourhood safely and with far less hassle.

 

Camino del Perdigal is just one piece of a much bigger effort. The Ayuntamiento, working alongside the Provincial Council, has set aside around €650,000 this year to upgrade 15 rural roads across Almería's agricultural districts, totalling seven kilometres in all.

 

For the people of El Alquián, though, the improvement that matters most right now is the one right outside their door, finally solid underfoot after what's clearly been a frustrating few months.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Almería