The Basque Government and the Bilbao City Council sign an agreement to start the works for the opening up of the Deusto Canal and the new bridge.

This morning, the Employment and Social Affairs Minister of the Basque Government, Juan María Aburto and the Mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, signed the agreement for the works to open up the Deusto canal and for the construction of the new bridge which will link Deusto with Zorrotzaurre. The works, which will be carried out simultaneously by the City Council, are expected to start at the end of this year.

The total investment is 30 million euros broken down as follows:

• Opening up the canal. Budgeted at 20 million euros to be financed by the City Council.
• Decontamination of the terrain. Jointly financed by the City Council and the Basque Government at an expected cost of 2 million euros.
• Deusto-Zorrotzaurre bridge. The bridge is budgeted at 7,7 million euros and will be financed by the Management Commission.

The agreement stipulates that Bilbao City Council will take on the financing of the decontamination of the terrain corresponding to the Basque Government and Visesa as well as the building of the new bridge (due to their participation in the Management Commission), all of which has been budgeted at 5 million euros. In return, the Basque Government will cede to the City Council an 8,500 m2 plot located in Zorrotzaurre.

Summary

This morning, the Employment and Social Affairs Minister of the Basque Government, Juan María Aburto and the Mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, signed the agreement for the works to open up the Deusto canal and for the construction of the new bridge which will link Deusto with Zorrotzaurre. The works, which will be carried out simultaneously by the City Council, are expected to start at the end of this year. The total investment is 30 million euros.