Save The Duero - An On-Line Petition  Add/Read Comments

Another on-line petition - this time an endeavour to save the Duero. The authorities wish to build a motorway across some prime vineyards; with alternative cheaper schemes available as an option this seems preposterous.

Save The Duero
"Internationally renowned wineries in the Appellation of Ribera del Duero in the region of Castilla y Leon, Spain, are facing a critical situation that threatens to destroy the unique terroir that lays claim to some of the world’s greatest wines. The strip of the heavily travelled N-122, also known as “the Golden Mile” (describing the several prestigious bodegas located on either side of the road), bisects the region and connects the two heavily populated towns of Valladolid and Soria, is anticipated to carry over 2,000 cars per day by the year 2010. With the current infrastructure, it is an unmanageable amount of traffic for a local thoroughfare that only has two lanes. Consequently, the government considered six options to affectively handle the increase of traffic based on 17 factors which it deemed as important. These factors included everything from the environmental impact to budget considerations for each of the six alternative routes. Based on the apparent use of an old map dating back to 1991, the government chose the option which is seen by many to be the most environmentally destructive, the least affordable and the most unpopular by both businesses and local residences alike – the widening of the N-122 from a two-lane to a four-lane highway. If the Southern- Expansion Option (titled the “Southern option” in this article), moves forward as expected bodegas would lose valuable vines and a considerable amount of tourism dollars in the future. It appears that the speculation on future urbanisation of the area is behind these decisions.