When leaving home becomes a risk to people's health and integrity, whatever the problem may be, it becomes an issue, at least, of local relevance. It is the drama that the residents of the Abiar Alta road in Teulada Moraira face every day. This historic road represents the connection between the municipality and neighboring areas such as El Poble Nou de Benitatxell and Xàbia.
It is approximately one kilometer of a strategic road that many take to avoid taking a considerable detour and save several minutes between towns. Drivers have always used the road as an alternative to the CV-740, the longest road, although the official and most reliable one. And safe, since the narrowness of the Abiar Alta road causes traffic incidents daily, forcing vehicles to back up several meters to make way. As long as the driver on duty is willing to give up the preference.
This road has a speed limit of 30 km/h, however, residents claim that cars can reach double, or even triple, the permitted speed. With all this, it is understandable that accidents are a constant on the road. The curves that form the road provide two black spots in which the danger is more than palpable. There can be about three accidents per month, according to the owners of the plots that run along the road.
Although it's not just drivers who are at risk. It is a path that lends itself to routes, where pedestrians and pets walk through the area. One of the neighbors witnessed relatively recently how a vehicle almost took over a dog that was walking with its owners. But the problem does not stop there. Those who suffer from everything that happens are the owners of land and houses, with their private access to the road. «One of the owners waits as long as necessary at the door of his house until a car passes by to leave behind it and thus avoid any head-on collision. “We live in fear,” say those affected.
To avoid the whole problem and make the road safer, 90% of the owners of the terraces and land have proposed that the road be widened. In fact, one of them has already voluntarily given up part of its plot, particularly taking the necessary action to widen almost half of the road it occupies. And the current government of Teulada Moraira has also shown those affected its intention to resolve the conflict in the best possible way, however, for the moment it has requested that each and every one of them agree. If not, the City Council would have to expropriate some of the land and the process would become even longer and more tedious.
Benitatxell can be a good example to follow in all this. Recently, the town has launched the works carried out with the same purpose on the camí de l'Abiar of its municipal area, making effective a historic demand of poor men and women. It has gone from being a narrow, dangerous and busy path to one that is safer, more modern and in harmony with the landscape, since the existing dry stone walls have been rebuilt by hand. A historic profession of the Marina Alta that needs similar actions to ensure generational change and its existence, all things considered.
In total, 31 plots are located on the Abiar Alta road in Teulada. If the expansion were to become effective, residents say, only those affected, which are about seven, would be deprived of about two meters, most of them being disused terraces. In this way, the necessary actions could be carried out to provide the road with space for vehicles in both directions and, in addition, a lane for bicycles and pedestrians could be added. But, above all, the path would be made safer for users, regardless of their type.
