A bridge in Chiva rebuilt for nearly 2.4 million euros has flooded after recent rains. The local council is demanding an immediate technical review. The incident raises questions about the quality of emergency infrastructure repairs.
Just months after a costly reconstruction, the Puente del Gallego in Chiva is once again unusable—this time because water is pooling on its surface after recent rains. The local council is now calling for an urgent technical review. The bridge, rebuilt after the severe floods of 2024, is at the center of a new debate over infrastructure reliability in Valencia.
Chiva’s authorities say the bridge was meant to withstand heavy weather and restore a key route lost to flooding. But after the first major rainfall, the structure failed, leaving vehicles struggling to cross and residents frustrated. Local officials, quoted by Las Provincias, blame the water buildup on problems with the drainage and water evacuation systems installed during the recent works.
Ecos de Valencia
Mayor Ernesto Navarro has emphasized the need for a bridge that works reliably in bad weather. The council notes the irony: a project meant to fix flood damage is now failing for the same reason.
The reconstruction contract, awarded to Obrascon Huarte Lain, S.A. (OHLA) in January 2025, covered several emergency repairs, including the Puente Camino Perenchiza over the barranco del Gallego, for a total of 2,396,694.22 euros. Urban planning representative Manuel Verdeguer says the council cannot accept such failures in new infrastructure, especially when public safety and daily mobility depend on it. As reported by Las Provincias, Chiva’s officials insist that the bridge must meet its intended purpose, given its importance after the 2024 floods.
The local government has formally requested a technical inspection to find out why the drainage and water evacuation systems failed so soon after completion. The review will check if these systems are properly designed and sized for future storms, and what needs to be fixed to ensure the bridge is safe and usable.
Ministerio de Hacienda
For residents, especially those in neighborhoods that rely on the bridge for daily access, the situation is more than a nuisance. Council member Natalia Toro says technical reviews are essential to make sure infrastructure investments actually deliver the safety and reliability promised to the community.
This incident comes as Spanish authorities face growing pressure to show that emergency funds and rapid repairs lead to lasting results. Public works are under closer scrutiny, especially after other recent failures. In Catalonia, for example, officials are considering bringing back AP-7 tolls to address ongoing congestion and safety problems, as reported earlier.
What’s striking in Chiva is how quickly a supposedly resilient bridge has shown its flaws. When nearly 2.4 million euros are spent on emergency repairs, the public expects more than a short-term fix. The demand for accountability is about more than technical standards—it’s about restoring trust in local and regional authorities to protect essential infrastructure. If the review finds design errors or poor oversight, it will only add to calls for stricter controls and more transparent follow-up on public projects. For Chiva and other towns, the real question is whether these failures will lead to real change, or if expensive mistakes will keep happening every time the rains return.
