The stretch of High Speed of the Embalse de Contreras executed by SANJOSE was awarded the International “Puente de Alcántara” Award
06/07/2010

- This emblematic stretch of high-tech difficulty between Madrid-Valencia HSR has required the construction of three tunnels and three viaducts in 6,5km. 

- SANJOSE CONSTRUCTURA, AZVI, ADIF, SENER-GESTEC, and CFCSL have received this award for a project which required an investment amounting to over 166 million Euros.

 - Contreras is the largest concrete railway arch in Europe. 

The stretch of the Embalse de Contreras–Villargordo located in Cabriel in the Madrid-Levante HSR has been awarded the XI International Puente de Alcántara Award. The San Benito de Alcántara Foundation has chosen this work for its peculiar and unique features as well as for the “use of innovative techniques, the clean lines and its beauty and integration into the landscape”, as stated by one of the member of the jury.

The passing of the Madrid-Levante high speed train through the Embalse de Contreras is one of the most remarkable stretches of the route due to uneven orography, increasing environmental and conservation concerns and the required technical specifications. This lead to the construction of three tunnels (Hoya de Roda, Rabo de la Sartén and Umbría de los Molinos) and three viaducts (Cuesta Negra, embalse de Contreras and Istmo) in a stretch of 6.5km. long. An investment over 166 million Euros was required.

Within the complexity of the works, what has been most appreciated by the members of the jury is the Viaducto de Contreras, the largest concrete railway arch in Europe (a 265m. span) and the all records concrete arch bridge in Spain. 

The International Puente de Alcántara Award is shared between the promoting body, designers and contractors of the winning work. 

Promoting body:   

ADIF-Dirección General de Proyectos de Alta Velocidad

Project:

ADIF

Project Manager: Mª Luisa Domínguez

Madrid-Levante HSR Manager: Santiago Cobo Diego

SENER-GESTEC

Author: Lorenzo Nogales

CFCSL

Bridge project: Javier Manterola, Antonio Martínez, Juan Antonio Navarro, Silvia Fuente.

 Constractors: SANJOSE CONSTRUCTORA y AZVI

In the XI Edition of the Puente de Alcántara Award, all the members of the jury, presided by H.R.H. Infante Don Carlos, Chairman of San Benito de Alcántara Foundation, were related in one sense or another to Civil Works.

High technology

The execution of this emblematic stretch of high-tech difficulty has counted on professionals from all civil engineering specialisations. Different construction techniques, such as ground structure, sheds, large viaducts, etc., have been implemented in a high ecological value environment and, therefore, with outstanding respect for the environment.   

This Project has become a worldwide reference due to the innovative techniques implemented for the execution of both tunnels and viaducts. Delegates from the USA, Russia, Morocco or Poland have visited the work to learn from our expertise and apply it in their local HSR. 

Respect for the environment

A determining factor has been the conservation of the Parque Natural de las Hoces of Cabriel, which made this stretch one of the most complex ones of the route. 

Special attention has been paid to local protected species - golden eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Eagle-owl, Peregrine Falcon -  by limiting building work throughout nesting months - avoiding site cleaning, earthworks, late-night working-  and adapting it to environmental needs. Wildlife areas have been prepared in order to prevent infrastructure to disturb animals. 

International “Puente de Alcántara” Award

 The International Puente de Alcántara Award, created by the San Benito de Alcántara Foundation in 1988, is awarded every two years to the Ibero-American public work which the jury considers to have greater cultural, technological, aesthetical, functional and social merit.

The symbol of this award if the Roman Bridge of Alcantara, widely hailed as a masterpiece of Roman engineering due to both the advanced technological techniques used for its construction and the economic and social functioned played over the years. The Award is shared between the promoting body, designers and contractors of the winning work. 

In previous editions, the prize was awarded to remarkable projects such as the enlargement of the Madrid Metro network,  the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Puente de Tampico over the river Panuco (Mexico), the Puente de Encarnación-Posadas between Argentina and Paraguay, the Torre de Collserola (Barcelona), the hydroelectric installations of de Alto Lindoso and Touvedo (Portugal), the strech of the roadNovellana-Cadavedo (Asturias), the Puentes de Piedrafita of the Autovía del Noroeste A-6 (Spain), the hydroelectric installation of Alqueva over the river Guadiana (Portugal) and the hydroelectric installation Caruachi over the river Caroní (Venezuela).

Winners receive a sculpture of Miguel Berrocal so-called El Torso de Alcántara which represents the homonym bridge.