Initial approval of the Zorrotzaurre Urbanization Project

Today, the Bilbao City Council approved the Urbanization Project for the Execution Unit 1 of the Integrated Action 1 of Zorrotzaurre, which includes all the right bank of the Deusto canal and the northern and southern ends of the future island. This Project, which includes free spaces, public roads and pedestrian spaces, covers 390,000 m2, of which 165,000 m2 correspond to streets and squares.

The Urbanisation Project defines the different surface elements of the first phase of Zorrotzaurre: pavements, roads, squares, urban furniture, parks, etc.

It also defines how the underground and above ground urban services such as water, gas and electricity supply, sewage, lighting, telephone and other communication networks will be structured.

Following the design of Zaha Hadid’s Master Plan, the main aspect of the Project is the relationship with water. Thus, there are two clearly differentiated images of the Deusto Canal:

The right bank recalls the tow paths and maintains the idea of a port, conserving the docks, the crane tracks, the bollards…

The island bank is a park where water is the protagonist that penetrates the island and threads through the paths and parks.

The open spaces are designed to create varied and variable zones that are adaptable to different usages and which recover the history of the place: the lines perpendicular to the estuary, the lost nature…. The materials are chosen to achieve maximum sustainability with minimum maintenance.

Zorrotzaurre will be, in essence, a space for pedestrians and cyclists, especially at the water’s edge. As well as river-side walks, where pedestrians and cyclists will co-exist, a cycle path will join the Frank Gehry bridge with the San Ignacio bridge via the central avenue.

The tram will run down the central avenue on a specific platform shared with Bilbobús, the city bus company, to guarantee an operative system of public transport and to connect the island with the rest of the city.

Three different zones are present in the Project:

• The right bank of the Deusto canal, that runs from San Ignacio to Botica Vieja..
• The Southern end, that reaches the former Artiach building.
• The Northern end, that runs from the municipal towed-car pound to the end of Zorrotzaurre.

As of the publication of the initial approval in the Official Bizkaia Gazette, the Project will be open to public view until September 30th.