Restoration of the banks of the River Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, crossing it from east to west and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon; in the dry climate of the Castilian plateau, it is of critical importance as a water resource and has been a decisive natural element in its history for thousands of years. As with many other rivers, its banks are in very poor condition due to hydraulic reasons, its poor accessibility and lack of public use to activate it, and its weak connection with the urban fabric of the city.
The Tagus River Integration project in Toledo is located in an area where an abandoned natural waterway will transform an important fragment of the city, and its main challenge is to discover how both urban and natural resources coexist in an environmentally and economically sustainable way and mutually enrich each other.
The Tagus River project as it passes through Toledo can be divided into two different areas. The first is the 2 km where the river surrounds the historic centre of Toledo, which is well preserved and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Here the project includes, on one bank, the construction of paths to facilitate access to the river bank for walkers, fishermen and joggers, as well as the restoration of the landscape of the slopes leading down to the river bank. On the opposite bank, an urban lounge will revitalise this extraordinary site with public activities. The project also includes three new bridges over the river; two small social and recreational buildings; the restoration of part of the industrial hydraulic heritage, such as the remains of the mills originally dating from the 17th century; and a mechanical connection linking the river to the city centre, located 80 m further upstream.
The second zone comprises the 30 km of riverbanks where a large park is planned to be developed in stages over 15 years. This area contains well-preserved fields of some environmental and ecological value, agricultural areas and long-abandoned small-scale mining operations. But above all, the river banks have been severely damaged by unregulated human activity and by channelling works carried out in accordance with technical requirements. The project focuses on the construction of a network of paths to structure the territory and make it accessible to the public, the environmental improvement of the preserved areas and the restoration of the natural environment where it has deteriorated.
This is a very complex project due to the large size of the area in question, the heterogeneous nature of the works to be carried out and its difficult social and political management. The project is located in a city of exceptional heritage value with numerous historical remains, and the work has been the subject of numerous initial assessments involving a wide range of public administrations and institutions, as well as the public.
