The Bilbao City Council extends by three months the Works to open up the Deusto Canal, which will now finish in March 2017

The Bilbao City Council decided yesterday to extend the period for the finalising of the works to open up the Deusto Canal by three months with a new termination date expected to be March 2017.

Council members explained that the delay is due to the establishment of a new safer, environmentally sound and sustainable excavation plan

The land involved will now be excavated in three phases instead of in one operation with the construction of a steel wall to delimit the area to avoid water filtering into the extraction zone, which will be carried out by floating dredgers.

This change requires pile-driving the new section where it connects with the river and this implies cutting car and pedestrian traffic on the current road that connects Zorrotzaurre to the Euskalduna roundabout and requires bringing forward to January the opening to traffic of the Frank Gehry bridge.

Excavation will begin in March 2016 when Basque Government approval is expected.

The works to open up the Deusto Canal require the excavation of around 365,000m3. Approximately 78% (286,000m3) are environmentally clean and will be deposited in the zone prepared by the Bilbao Port Authority for the extension of the port between Zierbana and Santurtzi.

10% of the contaminated earth will be handled by specialised companies and controlled landfill operators. The rest (12%) will remain in Zorrotzaurre to be reused on site.