The great uncertainty of the new Valgamedios square: could it house the Falla Oeste plant?
The renovation of the Valgamedios square after months of work comes to an end, and it does so with controversy. The new image that it presents has provoked a multitude of conflicting opinions, but not only for its aesthetics, but also for its distribution and finish. Its shape and unevenness have set off alarms among fans and members of the Fallas party, since it is the location of one of the most important monuments in the city, the West, and now there are doubts as to whether it can continue to host your plantà.
For a few days the Valgamedios square has shown its new face. What used to be more of an esplanade than a square, completely paved except for simple sidewalks that surrounded the place, now boasts a triangular roundabout to return that space to pedestrians and take it away from vehicles.
In this area for people, which was previously dedicated to parking cars, pylons have been placed to protect pedestrians and benches where they can rest. In addition, also in the road area that connects with Avenida València and starts at Ronda de les Muralles, where it was previously possible to circulate, pylons have been placed, thus preventing access to vehicles. Of course, the asphalt remains.
All these new pylons that have been placed, as well as the benches and other urban furniture, have alarmed the fallero sector since in that place the West fault of the Special Section of Dénia rises every March, being one of the largest and most important monuments that, therefore, they need more space. However, the City Council has assured the commission that all these elements will be removed every time the festivities begin to be repositioned once they conclude and thus there will be enough room to continue with the plantà of the ninots.
Now, that triangular roundabout that has been formed in the center causes a drop of about 10 centimeters in height like any sidewalk. The asphalted areas where vehicles circulate and where they do not now, such as the aforementioned section towards Ronda les Muralles, are at a lower level than the area where pedestrians walk. Therefore, this difference in heights makes it impossible to place a monument in the place, and the pedestrian part of the center is not wide enough to serve as a base for ninots of the size of those in the West.
The doubts are more than understandable, since the removal of the furniture and pylons is not enough to be able to continue being the home of the West Falla. The consistory, aware of these concerns, has transferred to the commission that there is a project to put the road now closed to traffic going towards Ronda les Muralles at the level of the pedestrian zone, which they point out that it would leave enough space to place the ninots.
In addition, they indicated that these new works would be completed before next March to enable that, if there are Fallas, the West can plant again. Therefore, it seems to be, the importance of that point of the city is taken into account during the Fallas festivals and it will be adapted so that it can continue to be one of the main stages of them.