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Rusting remnants of failed Puerto Mayor project will finally be removed
The hulking metal structure of the disastrous leisure complex in La Manga will cost 22.6 million to dismantle
Almost two decades after building work began on the Puerto Mayor marina next to the Estacio canal in La Manga, the Ministry for Ecological Transition has pledged 22.6 million euros to dismantle this urban disaster by removing the rusting sheet piles from the water and restoring the damaged beaches of Caleta del Estacio.
The extensive project was agreed upon this time last year and has since undergone an environmental assessment. The plan going forward is to remove the hulking metal structures that outline the docks and the structures that embed them in the sea floor, the dismantling of the inner enclosure of the Levante dam and the recovery of 200 metres of coastline by the port.
It’s expected that it will take a year and a half to completely eliminate the remnants of this disastrous endeavour.
The scheme to build a luxury marina in La Manga del Mar Menor dates back to 1975, when developers envisaged 900 mooring points, 2,000 tourist residences, a pitch-and-putt golf and even a small airport in the grandly-named Puerto Mayor.
Work began in 2004 but the project was paralysed within a year when an environmental battle began between the contractors and conversationalists, who feared the building project would further pollute the already damaged Mar Menor. Between administrative entanglements and many fights in the courts, the regional government of Murcia shut down the works in 2020, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Even though the final legal hurdle has been overcome, the Ministry doesn’t expect the restoration to begin until at least 2025, with the funding coming from the public coffers as part of the state plan to recover the Mar Menor.Although the project will be considerable given the size of the site, the regional government doesn’t plan to interfere with maritime traffic in the Estacio canal, or the waterway between the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor.
The most expensive part will be the removal of the internal part of the Levante dam, which was left unfinished during the construction of Puerto Mayor, and the removal of abandoned ships that were stranded within the enclosure when the Puerto Mayor was abandoned.
One potentially controversial aspect of the renovation is the decision to dismantle the last 200 metres of the southern breakwater of the cove, while leaving a semi-submerged section that should reinforce the existing rock wall without being an eyesore. Residents are invited to submit any objections to this between June 1 and 29.
From a purely environmental viewpoint, the most crucial project will be carried out on the dunes of the cove, with the addition of more sand and the removal of invasive exotic species that have made Caleta del Estacio their home over the years.
The Southeast Naturalist Association (ANSE) has already made a start on this and elevated wooden walkways have been installed at the beach to allow pedestrian access while the work is underway.
“The layout of these footbridges will run over some of the paths that currently exist so that there is no further degradation of the environment,” an ANSE spokesperson assured.
Images: ANSE
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