Construction of 2 more outdoor escalators in Calpe, Spain

The city of Calpe (Spain) has planned to build 2 more outdoor escalators, the estimated cost is nearly 1 million EUR (nearly 26 billion VND). This project has called for funding from entities in Avenida Gabriel Miró, the city’s commercial centers and in Avenida Masnou.

These two outdoor escalators will be located at the steepest sections of Gabriel Miró and Masnou with the aim of improving accessibility for older residents, shoppers and visitors of historic sites at the Casa de Cultura and the Civic Center here. That is shared from representatives of Calpe’s Council for Culture and Old Town Regeneration.

Calpe seen from above – Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørissen

Unlike elevators, escalators are a means of moving with open space, commonly used in commercial centers, airports, and high-rise buildings. This can be considered an advantage for application in outdoor spaces with areas with steep terrain. However, this model is not popular in the world, maybe it’s time for this device to deserve to be recognized as a solution to access outdoor space for the elderly, people with disabilities and increase public utility.

Solving urban congestion

If San Francisco has a cable car, Norway has a bicycle elevator, then one of the solutions in Hong Kong is the escalator system. Due to its geographical features and narrow land, Hong Kong soon designed an escalator system with the original purpose of improving the traffic situation, becoming a means of transportation for people. Over time, this escalator system has become different from other cities of Hong Kong.

This escalator system appeared since 1993, is considered a solution to the problem of large traffic congestion in urban areas. This system includes 20 escalators, 3 moving paths, connected to the ground by a pedestrian overpass and 14 entrances. The total cost for this system is 30 million USD (about 686 billion VND), the travel time for the whole system is 20 minutes for a total length of 800m. This is considered the longest covered outdoor escalator system in the world to date.

On the escalator’s path, the Soho neighborhood has become one of the ideal destinations for nightlife. For tourists, the outdoor escalator is a useful means to help you immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the local people, visit museums, amusement parks, and restaurants, without paying anything. Fees are too high like many other places. This escalator system has also appeared in many movies as a symbol of Hong Kong such as Chungking Express, The Dark Knight Rises, etc.

The scene at the outdoor escalator in the movie Chungking Express

Increased terrain accessibility

For areas with sloping terrain and buildings that are high compared to the common surface, the construction of stairs is still limited access to the terrain for the disabled and the elderly. At that time, the outdoor escalator maximizes its accessibility to this terrain. Even outdoor escalators are not only installed at short distances such as in residential areas, this is also a solution of choice to promote tourism in mountainous areas.

An escalator built in Enshi Gorge in Hubei (China) with a length of 688m has become a breakthrough in the tourism industry. If the cable car systems partially affect the landscape in scenic areas or are still limited for those who are afraid of heights, the outdoor escalator here has completely solved those problems.

The outdoor escalator system here is built with the roof in the ancient style of tiled roof, looking like an ancient path that enhances the beauty of the landscape of this mountainous area. This elevator system can transport 7,000 people at a time, with only 18 minutes traveling the length of this outdoor escalator system, visitors can admire the natural scenery in the most comfortable and easiest way.

This is definitely a sustainable topographic approach, especially in Vietnam with midland terrain, many beautiful hilly landscapes, in residential areas, large cities also have many differences in terms of height.