Lorry knocks down part of 18th-century El Cobre aqueduct in Algeciras
The driver, a foreign national, ignored the warning signs and his vehicle collided with the stone structure
La Voz de Cádiz
Monday, 27 October 2025, 19:49
On Thursday, a heavy goods vehicle caused significant damage to the arches that hold up the El Cobre aqueduct, a structure dating from the second half of the 18th century in Algeciras. The vehicle had attempted to drive under one of the arches.
In view of this situation, Algeciras city hall has announced that it will claim "by all possible means" the costs of reconstruction from the lorry driver, a foreign national, for what is being regarded as negligent driving.
Incident details
The incident occurred at around 7.30am last Thursday. Three Local Police officers were called out to check that the driver was fit to drive and that the lorry was roadworthy and had valid insurance, then they drafted an accident report.
At the same time, technicians from the relevant municipal departments (urban planning and culture) were also in attendance, working on the ground to start drafting the required reports that will be used to assess and quantify the damage caused and to establish rehabilitation mechanisms for the affected arch, which suffered a similar incident in the 1980s, as mentioned by council sources.
The lorry had also been damaged as a result of the collision, so it was towed from the scene. Debris resulting from the accident has already been removed and the site was closed to traffic and people for safety reasons.
Algeciras' mayor, José Ignacio Landaluce, visited the scene of the accident and announced that the necessary measures have been put in place to allow for the reconstruction of the arches affected by the driver's decision, which resulted in his lorry colliding with the structure, now "seriously damaged".
As the mayor explained, the driver attempted to drive his vehicle through the aqueduct's arches "despite being prohibited" as indicated by the warning signs, which constitutes a "truly irresponsible and negligent" manoeuvre.
"It will be restored as soon as possible and this council will pursue restitution of all costs arising from this work. We are going to demand all liability arising from these events," asserted Landaluce.
The El Cobre ('copper') arches are listed in Algeciras' city-wide urban plan (PGOU) with grade II protection, a status previously endorsed by the Junta de Andalucía.
