Work begins on the Rovira tunnel that will close the tunnel downwards for four months.
The works aim to improve the safety of the infrastructure and renew its pavement.
BarcelonaMore road closures due to roadworks in Barcelona. The Catalan capital's city council explained this Tuesday that the Rovira tunnel will be closed to traffic in the downward direction for four months starting this Sunday, March 23, for infrastructure improvement works. According to the council, the closure will affect 18,000 vehicles that pass through the tunnel each day in that direction. The first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, defended the importance of the work and asked for "patience" from the public.
The works, with a budget of €17.4 million, aim to update and adapt the tunnel's infrastructure, which dates back to 1987 and is approximately 1,300 meters long. Among the objectives of the works is to improve the safety of the infrastructure with the construction of three evacuation galleries and the installation of new cameras, variable message panels and barriers, beacons, and traffic lights in case it becomes necessary to close the tunnel.
In addition, the pavement will be renovated and all lighting replaced. Finally, structural defects in the tunnel will be repaired to prevent one of its endemic problems: water infiltration. To prevent this, cracks and joints will be repaired, and the waterproofing of the existing infrastructure and drainage will be renewed.
After these four months, work will begin on the tunnel on the other side, which will result in traffic being closed in the upstream direction for another month.
Alternative routes
While the closure is in effect, alternative routes have been established to facilitate vehicle travel, either from Karl Marx Square or Avenida de la República Argentina. A detour is also planned: from Avenida del Estatut, connecting with Calle de Lisboa, Calle de Tajo (a second exit lane will be created on all three), and Paseo de Maragall to Calle de Sant Antoni Maria Claret.
The works will also affect several bus lines. On the V21, two stops on the Rambla del Carmel will be cancelled, and a temporary stop will be created on Calle de Dante. The line will be reinforced to maintain service frequency, especially during rush hour. On line 102, the current starting and ending stops will be cancelled and moved a few meters to Paseo de Maragall. Finally, line 112 will maintain a stop in front of the CAP and will move the starting and ending stops to Calle de Porto.
