Benidorm to Install More Crowd Control Cameras on Levante Beach

Benidorm's Local Government Board has approved a modification to the contract for the second phase of the renovation of the catenary on Levante Promenade. The aim is to incorporate more spans and crowd control cameras on the beach. The change, requested by Red.es, will strengthen the monitoring network included in the town's smart tourism management system.

In this project, spans represent the spaces between the catenary's columns. Increasing their number also increases the support columns, thus providing more points for additional cameras.

The second phase of the catenary renovation covers the section between Europa Avenue and Metge Miguel Martorell Street. The contract was awarded to Elecnor Servicios y Proyectos SLU for 854,885.07 euros, and the approved modification involves a technical increase of 168,942.77 euros, which will not incur additional costs for the Town Hall. Furthermore, the execution period extends from eight to eleven months.

This was explained by the Councillor for Public Space, Francis Muñoz, who detailed that the expansion will be covered using the 22.24% discount offered by the awarded company in the tender. "The modification does not represent any expenditure for Benidorm," the councillor noted, also highlighting that this project update "responds to the request from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, through Red.es, to expand the coverage of crowd control cameras on the beach."

Muñoz also clarified that the modification complies with the law, as the added amount does not exceed 20% of the initial contract cost. For this reason, he explained, "there is no technical or administrative impediment to carrying it out," adding that the drafting of the updated project "will not affect the execution pace nor require a temporary suspension of the works."

The catenary on Levante Promenade was executed in the 1990s during the construction of the new seafront, tendered by the then Ministry of Public Works. After more than thirty years in service, the deterioration of the infrastructure and the need to adapt it to more efficient technologies led the Town Hall to promote its comprehensive renovation.

The first phase of the work, carried out between Torrejó Square and Europa Avenue, involved a fully municipal investment of 1,972,119.41 euros. This intervention modernised the installation, improved its efficiency, and reduced energy consumption by more than 33.65%. "Not only have we become more efficient, but the project has also received awards and recognition for its commitment to sustainability," Muñoz highlighted.

However, the councillor lamented that the central government has not assumed its responsibility in financing and executing these infrastructures, as he points out, it would be their competence. "As has happened with other works, from the first phase of the catenary to the accesses to the tertiary sector or the second phase of Poniente Promenade, we again see how the State does not fulfil its role," he criticised. "Benidorm will probably be the only municipality in Spain with a seafront where the Ministry does not assume its responsibility."