The Local Government Board has awarded the contract for the first phase of the Metro covering project in Rivas, which will connect the Linear Park with the Cerro del Telégrafo sports centre and Junkal Street, leading to the future covering of the railway tracks.
With an investment of €500,000 and a completion timeline of four months, the project aims to link the Linear Park to the green corridor of the sports centre, located just beneath the Athletics Stadium, extending to the point where the Metro covering will begin. This will create a large park spanning 2.5 km and covering 135,000 m², culminating at the Rivas Futura station.
The initiative will allow the local council to open up a section of the sports centre that has previously been restricted to users of the facility. The new route will enhance accessibility, lighting, and safety, facilitating pedestrian movement between various public spaces and facilities. Throughout the construction period, the sports facilities will continue to operate normally.
Improvements will be made at various points along the new route. In the Linear Park, enhancements to the pavement will be implemented, and the width of the path between the current maze and Avenida de los Almendros will be increased. The pedestrian crossing in this area will be adapted to improve accessibility and visibility, with plans for a future pedestrian traffic light requiring foundation and channeling works.
Improvements at the sports centre
At the Cerro del Telégrafo sports centre, public access will be opened from Avenida de los Almendros. The flooring and lighting in this area will also be upgraded, and new perimeter security fencing will be installed to protect the sports facilities, incorporating access control systems.
The new pedestrian route will extend from Cerro del Telégrafo to Junkal Street, creating a pedestrian connection that will also see lighting renewed. The project will conclude at the point where the covering of Metro Line 9B will begin, with plans for a large park that will connect the Linear Park from its start to Rivas Futura.
This new space is expected to improve mobility within the municipality and transform the existing railway barrier into a public meeting area.
In September, the Rivas City Council and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) confirmed a financing line of €40 million for the project, which is a key element of the Rivas Urban Agenda 2030.
New shading areas
The Local Government Board has also initiated procedures to provide shading systems for various green spaces and children's areas in the municipality, making them more comfortable during the hotter months. The budget for this initiative is €300,000, which will be used to improve two parks on Avenida de Aurelio Álvarez, the park on Calle de Eolo with Océano Atlántico, La Fortuna park, Paseo de las Provincias, and parks La Luna, 8M, and 28 de junio.
26th Rivas Film Festival
Additionally, Rivas has begun preparations for the 26th Rivas Film Festival, scheduled for March 2026. The Local Government Board has approved the regulations for the various competitions that form part of the festival, which is a significant event in the short film sector across Spain.
The first approved competition is the 26th National Short Film Contest, which offers €25,000 in prizes and will introduce an award for Best Original Soundtrack in the upcoming edition, honouring the late Txema Cariñena Rubio, who was the coordinator of the Municipal Music School. Entries for the various competitions must be submitted through the Festhome platform, which collaborates with the Rivas City Council.
Furthermore, the bases for the fifth 'Rivas Film Set' competition have also been approved, where short films are filmed in a single day at any location within the city.
