El Portillo

SERS has taken part in the urban transformation of the former railway land at El Portillo, drawing up the urban development design for execution unit no. 1 of area G-19-1 and subsequently providing site management and health and safety coordination for the works. The scheme forms part of the process of bringing back into the city the land released after the main railway operations moved to the Delicias intermodal station, and is aimed at removing the old urban barrier created by the track apron and creating a new landmark public space in the centre of Zaragoza.

The works cover approximately 109,000 m² of developed land and include the future Portillo park, large pedestrian areas and the remodelling of the main surrounding streets, among them Anselmo Clavé and Escoriaza y Fabro, from Rotonda de la Ciudadanía and Paseo María Agustín to the area around Avenida de Valencia and Avenida de Goya. The layout seeks to improve both urban mobility and pedestrian connections between the neighbourhoods on either side of the former railway land.

The park is conceived as a large tree-lined green area, with places to spend time, play and sports areas, footpaths and cycle routes and water features, incorporating criteria of accessibility, energy efficiency, sustainable drainage and reduced water consumption. The scheme also includes the renewal and construction of the water supply, sewerage, irrigation, electricity, lighting, gas and telecommunications networks, as well as the development of the streets and public spaces.

One of the main technical singularities of the project is the integration of the development works with the railway infrastructure still in service, since part of the new public space sits on the slab covering the railway tunnel and has to be made compatible with El Portillo commuter station and the installations associated with railway operations.

The works have a tender budget of approximately 28.4 million euros, excluding VAT, and the site management covers the technical, financial and programme control of the works, quality monitoring, the coordination of the various parties and services involved and the management of the works through to handover.