The First Summer After the Renovation of Doctor Gadea Avenue: More Pedestrians and Fewer Cars

The center of Alicante is one of the prime areas in terms of foot traffic from both tourists and locals. Every day, thousands of people walk its streets, the same streets that, a year ago, were plagued by construction, making them completely impassable and leaving businesses nearly desperate. One such case was Doctor Gadea Avenue, which today is significantly busier.

These renovations were carried out with the intention of 'calming traffic,' focusing on pedestrians in a much more accessible and safer environment by widening sidewalks and creating a dedicated bicycle lane. Initially, these improvements were expected to also benefit businesses by increasing foot traffic on the avenue, but this has not entirely been the case for some establishments.

The majority of businesses in the area recall those long months as a nightmare. The manager of Perfumería Prieto reminisced about those days, saying they spent "a lot of time with this area very closed off; no one came, and that affected us greatly." But she is not the only one with such comments. Jorge, from the supermarket 'Toda Familia Exprés,' described the summer of 2023 as "an absolute disaster."

The current reality varies greatly depending on the type of business. Bars, generally speaking, say they "haven't noticed much change," as mentioned by 'Orient Express.' Although several terraces are full or frequently visited even in early hours.

On the other hand, shoe and accessory stores show greater positivity regarding this reopening: "There is much more foot traffic from tourists and people in general; I feel that the renovations have had a good impact," concludes Génesis, an employee at 'Paco Martínez.' However, they also mention that "by removing parking spaces, fewer people come by car, which has somewhat reduced the number of those visitors," notes Cristina from 'Unisa.'

The improvements have had a somewhat mixed impact. Businesses like Kiosco Gadea, which has a fixed clientele, say they "haven't noticed it because this area is dead," according to David.

Indeed, as with everything, the reality for each of these businesses is very personal. None can be compared to another as each offers a different service, even if selling similar products. Therefore, the renovations seem to have achieved their main goal of being much more pedestrian-friendly.

With the new configuration, Doctor Gadea now has only one lane for each direction. The other lane has been reserved for a bicycle lane adjacent to the central promenade.

The construction on the avenue began in June 2023 and was completed on December 1st of the same year, lasting six months. This project is part of the city's transformation linked to the Low Emission Zone, which for the Canalejas-Jorge Juan axis represents an investment of 6.6 million euros.

The improvements included widening and repaving sidewalks, enhancing accessibility, removing barriers, and installing a two-way bicycle lane. Additionally, streetlights were upgraded and new planters and urban furniture were installed. Furthermore, there was a complete renovation of the potable water network by Aguas de Alicante.