As part of the work carried out by the MANCOMUNIDAD DE LA COMARCA DE PAMPLONA (Pamplona Regional Council) on the new section of the extension of the Paseo Fluvial, a new wooden footbridge was installed over the River Arakil, between Ibero and Etxauri, in Navarre. The project to extend the River Walkway between Ibero and Etxauri was designed by KREAN, which is also responsible for providing technical assistance during the construction work.
The new footbridge, with an arched structure and no intermediate pillars, has a span of 86.8 metres and weighs 106 tonnes. It was manufactured in Navarre and is the longest of its kind in Europe. Its structure is made of pine, with naya wood (Navarrese beech wood) flooring and metal connecting elements. It was assembled on the left bank of the Arakil River, where eight large pieces were put together. The structure was then lifted and installed on the abutments, the main support element of the footbridge, which had been built previously on both banks of the river.
Next, the new sections of the walkway will be built using concrete or compacted recycled aggregate paving, depending on the flood risk of the terrain. This new extension will provide a pedestrian and cycle link between Ibero and Etxauri, and the footbridge will facilitate safe access.
The budget for the work is €1,930,674.68 (excluding VAT) and includes a subsidy of €850,000 from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan - Financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU, managed by the Government of Navarre, and forms part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan for the Pamplona Rural Area, as it is one of the projects beneficiaries from the extraordinary call for Territorial Plans for Tourism Sustainability in Destinations 2023.
With this new section, the Comarca River Park on the banks of the Arga, Ultzama and Elorz rivers will reach 46 kilometres, stretching from north-east to south-west, from Sorauren and Irotz to Ibero, mostly designed and assisted by KREAN. As it passes through Pamplona, the Arga adds another 17 km to the length of the park along the municipal boundary. This makes a total of 63 km, forming a network of footpaths and cycle paths that provides a green link between the population centres scattered throughout the Pamplona region.
