Bicycles, trucks and school buses: impossible coexistence on a road in Girona

GironaThe GI-531 road is one of the most congested in the Girona region. It crosses the Llémena Valley, a river basin dotted with small villages surrounded by nature, from Sant Gregori – west of Girona – to Les Planes d'Hostoles in La Garrotxa. The road is narrow, with significant changes in gradient, a single lane in each direction, very sharp curves, and a virtually nonexistent shoulder. Private vehicles share this route with other traffic. groups of cyclists who do sportHeavy goods vehicles from companies working in the area and school buses also use this road.

This causes frequent traffic jams and accidents, sixteen of which resulted in injuries in the last year. Some trucks have even spilled their cargo onto the road during sharp turns, and sometimes heavy goods vehicles have to reverse to maneuver if they encounter each other head-on on a tight curve. All of this has worsened in recent years, following... the rise of cycling tourism in GironaThe growth of the local population – which now exceeds 700 inhabitants – and the new AP-7 exit in Girona West, which increases truck traffic, are contributing factors. Local councils and the Catalan government, aware of the problem, have been proposing improvements for some time, but the issue has not been fully resolved, and residents, who have recently experienced close calls with buses full of children, are frustrated and have voiced their concerns.

A year ago, following a neighborhood meeting, they formed the "For a Safe Road" platform and have since organized several road blockades and protests. The residents are demanding that the length of large trucks be limited to a maximum of 12 meters so they can navigate curves without encroaching on the oncoming lane. They are also calling for restrictions on truck traffic during school bus hours, from 8:00 to 10:00 and from 13:00 to 15:00, in the opposite direction to the buses that transport primary and secondary school students to Sant Gregori.

The four municipalities in the area – Canet d'Adri, Sant Gregori, Sant Aniol de Finestres, and Sant Martí de Llémena – united under a joint association, reached an agreement in January regarding this time restriction and submitted the request to the Generalitat (Catalan government), which is processing it with the approval of the affected companies. The initiative also has the support of the Catalan Parliament. However, residents complain that it is not yet being enforced and that the situation is urgent. "A week ago, a bus carrying children collided with a truck and had to reverse. The danger is constant, it's a daily occurrence. Do we have to wait until someone dies? This risk is present every day. It's a fundamental ethical issue," argues the platform's spokesperson, Christian Tubau.

The main companies affected are Aigües de Sant Aniol, which has the underground spring in this area that borders the volcanic area of ​​La Garrotxa, And Jamones Llémena, which cures pig's trotters and has expanded its production in recent years. Their trucks travel the entire route from Sant Aniol de Finestres to Girona in both directions, but not towards Les Planes de Hostoles.

Beyond the neighborhood platform, the historic organization Llémena Espai Natural, with over 25 years of experience in environmental protection, founded to oppose the high-voltage power line, has also become deeply involved in this issue. "People complain mainly about the danger posed by the trucks and the rollovers that cause disruption. They also complain about the teams of 20 or 25 cyclists who come in vans to train. Residents are worried because, to go shopping, to the doctor, or to work, people have to take the car. We don't even have a boat here, a naturalist."

Improvements yes, expansion no

To address these problems, widening the road is being considered, but this is a topic that generates considerable debate among local residents and environmentalists, who want to preserve the valley's great natural value, which has so far seen very little infrastructure development. What is generally agreed upon is the need for improvements, as recently approved by a commission made up of representatives from various political groups and organizations in the valley, and which the Catalan government is already managing. "The GI-531 will not be widened, but two projects will be carried out: one from Sant Gregori to Sant Aniol and another from Sant Aniol to Les Planes. These will include a shoulder along the entire road and the repair of some dangerous sharp curves," says Dolors, the mayor of Sant Martí de Llémena.

In turn, the companies are willing to collaborate and accept the truck time restrictions, although they point out that the transport services are subcontracted and that they do not have the authority to prohibit traffic until there is a regulation from the Generalitat (Catalan government). They also agree that the road has not been adapted to the growth of the valley and that improvements are needed to guarantee its safety.

In this regard, Aigües de Sant Aniol states that it cannot relocate its plant to a better-connected area, since it draws its water from this valley, but assures that it has reduced production based on sustainability criteria and that the peak extraction period coincides with school holidays. Furthermore, 80% of the workforce is from the area, and they are concerned about the road safety of their employees.

Unlike the Girona-based bottling company, Jamones Llémena could have established itself in a less remote industrial park, but the company's founders were from the valley. Managing director Benet Bosch emphasizes the added value the business brings to the towns in the region. "We pay taxes here, we employ local workers, and we want to maintain our economic activity in the valley. We're not asking for a dual carriageway, but we do believe it's logical to adapt the road to the traffic it has to handle today," he concludes.