- The company has been awarded for two emblematic projects: the construction of Line 1 of the Quito Metro and the extension of the Centenary Bridge in Seville
ACCIONA received an award at the 18th Potencia Awards for Construction, Public Works and Mining 2024, held on November 21st at the Royal Tapestry Factory (Real Fábrica de Tapices) in Madrid. The company was recognized in the “Tunnels and Underground Works” category for the construction of Line 1 of the Quito Metro (Ecuador) and in the “Land Routes” category for the project to expand the Centenary Bridge in Seville (Spain).
Roberto Carballo, Director of Construction Execution Support and Equipment Management area of ACCIONA’s Construction business, accepted the award for Line 1 of the Quito Metro. Manuel García Alconchel, director of the Southern Spain Area of the Construction business, and Eduardo López, site manager of the Centenary Bridge in Seville, accepted the award in the “Land Routes” category on behalf of the company.
Organized by the Interempresas Group - publisher of Potencia magazine - the Potencia Awards recognize the quality and innovation of Spanish construction and engineering companies in the design and execution of major projects around the world, highlighting their work as ambassadors of the “Spain Brand”.
QUITO METRO LINE 1
ACCIONA was responsible for the construction of the first metro line in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The works included the construction of a 22-kilometer metro line with a 19.5-kilometer tunnel and 15 new underground stations, as well as 28 ventilation shafts, pumping stations and emergency exits along the line, engine sheds, services for the adaptation and operation of stations and the tunnel, and accessibility and safety elements.
Three double-shield tunnel boring machines (TBM), “La Guaragua”, “La Carolina” and “Luz de América”, each over 9 meters high, were used simultaneously for its construction. The last of these achieved the highest productivity for this type of machine, reaching a world record of 1,489.5 meters in 30 days.
The construction of this first metro line has connected the city from north to south, serving an average of 400,000 people per day, reducing the number of vehicles, improving communication between different parts of the city, reducing travel times and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
SEVILLE CENTENARY BRIDGE
The Seville Centenary Bridge expansion, which is being carried out by a consortium led by ACCIONA, includes the replacement of the 88 stay cables that support the bridge’s suspension section with new ones using more modern technology, which will increase the structural safety of the bridge and facilitate future inspection and replacement, thus extending its useful life. In addition, the project will widen the SE-30 roadway by adding an additional lane across the bridge, bringing the total to six lanes, which will reduce traffic and the current congestion on the road. In addition, it will improve road safety for users by providing a barrier separating the two directions in the median, improving the containment systems.
The project is characterized by a high level of technical complexity, as it aims to ensure the safety and durability of the infrastructure while the bridge remains operational throughout the process.