The GC-323, which connects Llanos de María Rivera with La Milagrosa, is overgrown, narrowing the roadway and reducing visibility. Residents of both municipalities are calling for urgent cleaning due to the risk of fires.
The road linking Llanos de María Rivera with the ascent to La Milagrosa, a municipal agricultural path, has become a headache for residents of Santa Brígida and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The vegetation has encroached to the point that in some sections barely one vehicle can pass. The approximately six-kilometre route is heavily used by both locals and drivers heading to see the San Lorenzo fireworks in summer.
Overgrowth Invading the Roadway
Ruth G. Velázquez, a resident of Santa Brígida, has been using this road daily for work for four years. "At first glance, it looks like a two-way road, but if I stretch my arms, it's clear that two vehicles cannot pass here," she explains. The lack of maintenance on the edges has caused branches to occupy part of the asphalt, forcing drivers to exercise extreme caution.
José Guillermo Santana shares the concern. "It's getting narrower because no one is sent to clean the edges. The overgrowth not only invades the edges of the asphalt, but also covers any ditches that may be present, and if we can't see them, we could end up falling in," he warns. The loss of usable space is the main problem, according to residents.
Fire Risk in Summer
Concern increases during the summer months when the risk of wildfires is higher. "Citizens are asked to keep the areas around their homes clean as a protective measure, but the authorities also need to take their own responsibility," Ruth argues. Residents recall that the road could serve as a firebreak, but if it is not clean, it loses that function.
Nieves Viera and Bernardo Díaz, a couple living in the area, point out that this is a "very busy" route, especially during the San Lorenzo festivities when many locals head to Lomo de Andújar to see the fireworks. "Many people also walk up to Teror from here," they add. The road connects the neighbourhoods of both municipalities and is an alternative to avoid traffic in the capital.
"Citizens are asked to keep the areas around their homes clean, but the authorities also need to take their responsibility"
A Neighbourhood Complaint Without Response
The affected residents have called for a municipal intervention to allow for safe and "peaceful" transit. The road, owned by the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, appears to be an asphalted road but is actually an agricultural path. Residents question the demands placed on citizens by the administrations, which they believe the institutions themselves do not uphold.
"We are increasingly worried about passing through here," summarises the group of residents. The lack of maintenance on the edges has reduced visibility on several curves, forcing drivers to travel at low speed. This situation repeats itself every summer, but this year the overgrowth has grown more vigorously due to recent rains.
Residents hope that the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council will act before the peak fire risk season arrives. In the meantime, they continue to use the road with caution, aware that any oversight could lead to an accident or an uncontrolled fire. The road to La Milagrosa remains, for them, a high-risk route that needs an urgent solution.
