Urbanisation Project of the Execution Unit 1 of the Integrated Action Plan 1 of Zorrotzaurre

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On July 26th 2017, the City Council gave final approval to the Urbanization Project of the Execution Unit 1 of the Integrated Action 1 of the Mixed Area of Zorrotzaurre.

Following the design of ZahaHadid’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 bollard…

– 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 riverside 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 BoticaVieja..

– 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.

1. THE RIGHT BANK OF THE DEUSTO CANAL

1.1 SAN IGNACIO AREA

The limit of the project runs parallel to the AvenidaZarandoa which widens as it approaches the canal creating a 20 metre wide walk on two levels: one at the dock level, with a usage not only as a walkway, but also as a leisure area by the creation of spaces oriented towards the water, without railings, to recall its past as a port, and the other 1,5 metres above it, with trees and spaces for relaxing.

On this right bank of the Deusto canal in the San Ignacio zone the main elements will be:

– A walkway between the Elorrieta roundabout and the IDOM building, 520 metres long and 10 metres wide. The part next to the AvenidaZarandoadueto the plants and its slight elevation will protect the walkway against the noise of traffic.

– Plaza San Ignacio. A square of 5,000m2 with a children’s playground and three covered spaces to protect from bad weather will be created.

– A small rockodrome under Sarriko taking advantage of the wall and the difference in levels.

In the area close to the Elorrieta roundabout, there are currently problems with the runoff of rainwater when the tide is high, given that the level of the urban areas is slightly lower than the high tide mark. This causes large puddles to form on the road and the pavements. To improve the situation, a 350 metre long concrete tube 1,5 metres in diameter has been projected to store the water until the tide drops and gravity solves the problem.

1.2 THE DEUSTO AREA

The road system between Enekuri and the Euskalduna roundabout will be reorganised by extending calle Ballets Olaeta. Thus, calle Morgan will be one-way towards the tunnels and the new calle Ballets Olaeta will run the opposite way towards the city centre.

2. DEUSTO RIVERBANK (SOUTHERN END)

The most important aspect of this area is the creation of a pedestrian precinct around the current housing, similar to the old quarter of the city and the transformation of the calle Ribera de Deusto into a pedestrian walk as far as the Artiach factory in this first Phase.

Also, although they do not belong to the Execution Unit 1, the urban infrastructures in the riverbank area down to the last of the current houses on the Zorrotzaurre riverbank will be renewed.

The road network in this area is formed as a large loop that allows immediate entry and exit from and to the Frank Gehry bridge.

The flood protection standards set for Zorrotzaurre establish the need, not only to elevate the level of the island, but also to guarantee no flooding in the buildings next to the riverbank.

To achieve this, and following the advice of URA, a protective barrier 1 meter high has been designed for the edge of the calle Ribera de Deusto, which protects from water penetration for up to 100-year events. To evacuate the rainwater that might coincide with a high tide, two storm tanks of 2,100m3 each have been designed to collect al the estimated rainfall, which can then be evacuated at low tide. As a security measure, each tank is equipped with a pumping system to be able to pump the water collected, above the high tide mark if necessary.

The building of the tanks will allow the rainwater collected to be treated for use in watering the green zones and street cleaning.

3. ZORROTZAURRE RIVERBANK (NORTHERN END)

As with the southern end, the northern end road system will operate as a loop, which will allow entry and exit via the future bridge, which will connect San Ignacio with the island.

SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE URBANIZATION PROJECT OF ZORROTZAURRE.

Given the characteristics of the future island of Zorrotzaurre, the following elements have been incorporated to the urbanization project:

– Filling-in of the roads to reach the non-flood level.In order to guarantee flood protection for the new buildings the current level of the island will need to rise at least by 1.5 metres.

– Sewage pumps. The unusual topographical nature of the future island of Zorrotzaurre, at 2,5 km. long and practically flat, makes a different system of dealing with sewage, compared to the rest of the city, necessary. In accordance with the criteria of the municipal technical staff, different systems of dealing with sewage have been considered.Finally, it was decided to install a series of pumps to evacuate the sewage to the Nervión-Ibaizabal station on the left bank.

– Storm tanks for the collection, storage and reuse of rainwater. The two tanks of 2,100 m2 located on the Ribera de Deusto have a double function. Under normal circumstances, they will serve to reuse rainwater, after treatment and disinfection and, in the case of extremely high tides, they will act as storm tanks, reinforced with evacuation pumps.

– Underwater. Two submarine service installations on the river bed, will take electricity, sewage and water supply across the river: one between the island and Olabeaga and the other between the island and Zorrotza

– Pneumatic solid waste collection.Among the sustainability criteria in the Special Urbanization Plan, the future island of Zorrotzaurre will have a pneumatic solid waste collectio system to eliminate the daily passage of the rubbish collection lorries. The system includes the central collection building.

– LED illumination. Street lighting is by LED technology. Although the initial investment is higher than traditional lighting, the cost will be more than offset by the lower consumption of electricity and replacement costs.