Scenic road blocked by landslide now reopened

The reopened road,    Images above and below: gomeranoticias.com

The scenic road past the El Rejo volcanic cone was closed for a few days after a larger landslide late November last year, then briefly reopened after debris had been cleared off the road. Then another landslide only a few days later forced the renewed closure and it had remained closed since, while work was being carried out to stabilise the mountainside. Due to the very steep incline  this proved very difficult as conventional methods such as strong mesh-wire and concrete walls could not be employed due to the unstable terrain and for environmental reasons. The same stretch of road had been blocked before by a huge rock in February 2014.

Yesterday afternoon it was announced that the road will be open to the public again from today, but initially only during the day from 7am to 7pm. Drive with caution as only one lane will be open at the spot where work is continuing and two men with walkie-talkies are regulating traffic. The island's government, which is responsible for the road, has asserted that the works are nearing completion and the road should be reopened fully soon.

The spectacular mountain road is popular with tourists and connects the main north road with the main west and south roads through the national park. For locals in the area the closure of this byroad had meant very long detours.

The extent of the landslide