The channel between the med and the Mar Menor will be fully open again

2010-07-22

The Puente del Estacio has finally resumed full service today after more than a year of wrangling about who is going to pay for maintaining and operating the service.

From the 1^st to the 16^th March the bridge remained firmly shut, whilst those affected by the closure gathered together into a plataforma de defense , to force the council to resolve the situation and resume normal services.

As a concession, the town hall agreed to man the bridge so that twice daily openings could continue, but have today finally signed the necessary paperwork which will see the restoration of a full service to boat owners.

The La Manga Strip is actually administered by two different councils, the top part belonging to Cartagena, whilst at km5, the jurisdiction changes to San Javier. A natural break in the rocks which form the Mar Menor boundaries have left a channel, which has been widened and  deepened throughout its' history to enable shipping to pass in and out of the Mar Menor, joining it with the sea.

Just a couple of thousand years ago, all of what is now the strip was actually below the sea and the Mar Menor didn't even exist.

The Puente del Estacio joins the strip together, and whilst smaller shipping can pass through the channel during the day, the bridge has to be raised in order for larger vessels to pass through.

San Javier council has been arguing that marine traffic entering the Mar Menor does not just stay within the financial jurisdiction of San Javier, as boats pass into Cartagena, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcazares, via the Puente, so have been attempting to arrive at a settlement whereby they do not shoulder the burden of maintenance alone.

As the situation has still not been resolved, and the pressures of summer traffic has started to tell, the council have signed a 1 year contract to ensure that users receive the service they require whilst the negotiations continue behind closed doors to agree a long-term financing package.

 

For the coming year he bridge will open 7 times a day, every two hours, from 9am-9pm, and from the 30^th September this will change to 6 times a day, between 10am and 8pm.

 

The contractor will also assume maintenance and cleaning costs, the whole operation costing the Town Hall of San Javier 113, 740 euros for the coming year.

 

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