The second vice-president of the Diputación de València and deputy for Roads, emphasized in Valladolid the importance for provincial councils to have more funds and capacity to act on strategic municipal roads. These roads, although not part of the provincial road network, are fundamental to ensure connection between municipalities and territorial cohesion.
The provincial official participated in the 28th National Symposium on Local Administration Roads and Works (Vyodeal), where she presented the experience of the Diputación de València in infrastructure conservation, local mobility, and the fight against territorial disconnection. She focused on the so-called 'Roads of Territorial Interest', a concept promoted by the Roads department of the Diputación to identify municipally owned roads that, despite being outside the provincial network, play a strategic role in daily mobility, access to services, economic activity, or connection between population centers.
“"There are municipal roads that support the daily life of many towns and fulfill an evident territorial function, but whose town councils do not have sufficient resources to undertake improvement or maintenance actions."
The deputy explained that the Diputación de València is already acting on these types of infrastructures through objective criteria of connectivity and service to the territory, especially in small municipalities and inland areas. However, she stressed that it is vital to create a stable financing framework to cover these actions, as they are currently funded by the ordinary budget, the same one used for the 1,800 kilometers that make up the provincial road network.
“"It is not enough to connect municipalities with major roads. It is also essential to strengthen connections between towns and avoid the risk of territorial isolation."
During the congress, the second vice-president also addressed current challenges of the local road network, including adaptation to new forms of mobility, improvement of road safety, and the need to incorporate resilience criteria after the experience of the DANA. She highlighted that the secondary network is not complementary, it is essential, as when it fails, many municipalities are isolated and territorial cohesion suffers, something that became evident in the weeks following the DANA of October 2024.
The participation of the Diputación de València in the symposium is completed with the presence of various technical officials from the Roads department in several specialized sessions of the congress. The director of Roads, will moderate the session 'Roads at the service of tourism, landscape, and culture', focused on the heritage and territorial value of road infrastructures. Among other issues, the imminent recovery by the Diputación de València of the historic road of the Puerto de Contreras on the old Nacional III will be discussed, a section that represents a national benchmark for public works heritage.
Furthermore, the head of the Conservation and Exploitation service will participate in the session dedicated to the transformation of local roads and emergency management, where he will present the Diputación's experience in the reconstruction of roads affected by the DANA. Meanwhile, the head of the Construction and Quality Control service will address the strategies promoted by the Valencian provincial corporation to incorporate environmental sustainability criteria in the planning and execution of road infrastructures, advancing towards the decarbonization of the local road network.
