Going Underground – Marbella’s cables

Marbella Council has set its sights on getting rid of unsightly electricity pylons by putting the cables underground and avoiding so many repair works in the streets.

In a press conference recently, councillors presented the proposal for a project in which telecommunications cabling, electricity cabling, high-voltage, and less would be fed through underground tubing, ending the need for so many ugly, buzzing cable lines.

The plan would require new telecommunications ordinances to be approved by the council. The plan is still in its research stage, and they are asking stakeholders to contribute with their own ideas and solutions. 

Plan for new system of utility tunnels beneath Marbella streets

With regard to the potential work that would need to be carried out, the Marbella Councillor for Urban Planning, José Eduardo Díaz, said, ‘The idea is that once a street is opened to carry out a works, for example on a newly paved road or with recent maintenance improvements, there is a commitment that it will not be done again in the future,’ calling for a system of easy-to-open underground tunnels that will carry cables and pipes. He went on to emphasise, ‘We have to create infrastructures that are large enough so that we do not have to constantly open our city and try to gain access all the time.’

The councillor has also been in meetings with Acosur and Hidralia, the companies which manage water pipes and drainage in Marbella, to see if such a project could incorporate their installations as well, thus eliminating so much need for digging up the streets every time maintenance work needs to be carried out.