The Boadilla del Monte City Council and Red Eléctrica have signed an agreement to study the burial of the high voltage line connecting Las Lomas with Majadahonda. The study, funded by the City Council with nearly 40,000 euros, will analyse the technical and economic feasibility of the project.
The Boadilla del Monte City Council has taken a firm step this Wednesday towards the burial of the high voltage line that connects Las Lomas with Majadahonda, one of the historical demands of residents from several urbanisations in the municipality. The City Council and Red Eléctrica have signed a collaboration agreement to prepare a technical study that will determine the feasibility of the project.
The agreement, signed by the mayor, Javier Úbeda, and representatives of Red Eléctrica, stipulates that the electricity company will develop a report evaluating the technical, economic and administrative aspects necessary to carry out the burial. The City Council, for its part, will contribute 39,609.01 euros to finance this preliminary phase, according to the regulations governing actions on the electricity transport network.
A project long demanded by residents
The high voltage line runs through residential areas such as Las Lomas, Bonanza and Valdecabañas, where residents have been calling for a solution to eliminate the visual impact and improve the integration of the urban environment for years. The electrical line, which runs largely over homes, has been a constant source of complaints due to its aesthetics and perceived health risks, although there is no conclusive scientific evidence in this regard.
The study now being initiated will analyse different routing and depth alternatives, as well as estimated timelines and costs. If the results are favourable, both parties plan to formalise a second agreement to address the execution phase of the works, which would mean the definitive removal of the poles and overhead cables in these areas.
Boadilla, close to saying goodbye to overhead lines
This initiative is part of the municipal strategy to reduce the presence of overhead electrical infrastructures in the municipality. In recent years, the City Council has already carried out similar actions, such as the partial burial of lines and the removal of high voltage towers in the Valenoso and Olivar de Mirabal areas. With this new project, Boadilla del Monte would be very close to virtually eliminating this type of installation from its urban landscape.
The mayor, Javier Úbeda, has highlighted that the agreement represents "an important milestone" for the municipality and has thanked Red Eléctrica for their collaboration. "We have been working for years to make this line disappear from the skyline of our urbanisations, and today we take a decisive step," he stated. For its part, company sources have confirmed their willingness to collaborate on the study, which could be completed within a six to nine month timeframe.
Residents of the affected areas have received the news with satisfaction, albeit with caution. "We have been waiting for decades, but at least now it seems there is real will," comments María López, president of the Las Lomas residents' association. "We hope that the deadlines are met and that it doesn't just end up being another study," she adds.
The next step, once the report is completed, will be the drafting of the executive project and the search for funding for the works, the total cost of which could exceed 10 million euros, according to unofficial estimates. The City Council is confident that, if all goes well, the works could begin within a two to three year horizon.
In the meantime, residents will have to continue living with the poles and cables crossing their neighbourhoods, but with the hope that this time, the burial will become a reality. The signing of the agreement is undoubtedly a first step that marks the way forward.
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