The Public Works, Transport & Communications department of the Spanish regional government of Navarra recently allocated US$37M towards seven major civil projects, with the Ezkaba Tunnels due to scoop US$24M. This will be released over a three-year period, with US$1.8M made available this year, US$9.5M next year and the final tranche of US$12.7M in 2004. US$533,608M will also be paid out in the form of technical assistance.
Construction will take 32 months and consist of upgrading access roads to the city of Pamplona by driving a 750m long tunnel beneath Ezcaba Mountain, uniting the Northern and Eastern ring roads in the process and cutting 1300m off of the existing routes. Construction will also require the placing of three major structures over the Ultzama River, two of which will allow highway traffic access to the tunnel.
