Sice has reached milestone in the upgrade of six tunnels along the Cantabrian Motorway (A-8) in Northern Spain with the construction of new evacuation galleries.
This includes a pedestrian cross-passage in the Tezangos tunnel and a combined vehicular and pedestrian gallery in El Fabar.
These new safety infrastructures are designed to enable fast and secure evacuation in emergencies and are part of a road safety and technological modernisation project led by Sice.
The project covers the El Carmen, Llovio, Tezangos, El Fabar, Arenal de Morís, and Duesos tunnels, and complies with Royal Decree 635/2006, which sets minimum safety requirements for road tunnels.
The upgrades also included pavement renewal; improvements to electrical and communication systems; installation of CCTV, signage, and lighting; environmental monitoring; fire hydrant networks; and traffic management systems.
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The gallerys will seek to ensure safe evacuation during emergencies and is equipped with automatic pressurisation systems that activate in the event of fire or when evacuation doors are opened.
These systems include fans, fire dampers, and control mechanisms to prevent smoke ingress, ensuring safe escape routes with illuminated emergency signage.
The project also incorporates low-impact solutions such as fire-resistant bituminous pavements instead of concrete and hazardous liquid drainage systems.
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