"We guarantee the safety and continuity of Bizkaia's infrastructures for the protection of users"
DF45/2025 New Provincial Decree on Tunnel Safety in Bizkaia
On 30th April 2025, Bizkaia Provincial Council approved a new Provincial Decree on Tunnel Safety: DF45/2025 This decree applies to tunnels on the road network of the Historical Territory of Bizkaia, thus repealing the previous DF91/2012.
This new regulation provides a solution to the problems that have arisen in the application of new technologies and regulations in this field, guaranteeing safer, more efficient and sustainable infrastructures and maintaining the Provincial Councils commitment to ensuring high safety standards in this field.
Safety requirements in tunnels
TECNALIA, as head of the Bizkaia Tunnel Safety Inspection Body (OITB), has participated along with the rest of the companies in the consortium, SENER, TEKIA and the University of Valencia, in the review of the safety requirements that tunnels must implement in all phases of their life cycle, from their design to their operation. The requirements are included in the new Technical Instructions annexed to the Provincial Decree.
Furthermore, a new Technical Instruction has been approved, which includes the risk analysis methodology for tunnels in Bizkaia, which will enable measures to be studied and adopted to reduce risks.
With this new annex, the regulation is structured as follows:
- Annex I - Technical Instruction on Infrastructure: includes the requirements to be met by the structure in its design, covering layout, drainage, lay-bys and emergency exits, among others.
- Annex II - Technical Instruction on Electrical Power: establishes the requirements for security of supply and the need for duplication, which are essential to guarantee the power supply to all tunnel installations and its continuity.
- Annex III - Technical Instruction on Lighting: establishes the basis for the design of adequate lighting levels, including LED technology in this revision, thus improving energy efficiency and sustainability.
- Annex IV- Technical Instruction on Ventilation: includes the conditions for adequate air quality both in normal operation and in the event of fire, establishing the need for studies to conclude whether ventilation equipment is necessary.
- Annex V- Technical Instruction on Fire Protection: defines the fire detection, extinguishing, alarm and signalling equipment to be installed. This revision adds new alternative solutions such as deluge systems for infrastructure protection and thermal cameras for fire detection and location.
- Annex VI- Technical Instruction on Safety, Surveillance and Control: describes the equipment necessary to manage traffic, detecting and allowing orders to be issued from the control centre in the event of an incident. The revision incorporates recommendations to be followed in all control centres to ensure a homogeneous and reiterative service between them.
- Annex VII - Technical Instructions for Operation: covers the management of both personnel and material resources and establishes the need to carry out exercises and drills.
- New Annex VIII: methodology for risk analysis in tunnels in the Bizkaia road network
In this way, TECNALIA continues to work to guarantee the safety and continuity of Bizkaia's infrastructures, with the main objective of ensuring the safety of users.
