Patches to urgently fix the potholes on the A-2: "It seems that Catalonia ends at La Panadella"

BarcelonaThe sign on the shoulder of the A-2, as cars leave the Anoia region behind and enter the Segarra, isn't the only indicator of the approach to the Lleida province. The color of the highway's pavement confirms it. This is highlighted by some of the drivers who regularly travel between Barcelona and the Lleida region, passing through the stretch between Cervera and La Panadella. Potholes and cracks in the highway mean that drivers and passengers are already accustomed to a bumpy ride, and the recent storms of rain and wind haven't helped the road's condition.

"This stretch is like the first roller coaster my daughter has ever ridden, because there's a brutal drop and we have to be very careful," says Francesc Canosa, who travels this road two to four times a week to get to and from Barcelona. On Friday the 13th, dozens of cars suffered flat tires, some had their windows cracked by stones flying from the pavement, and there were even a few collisions. The poor condition of the road forced the closure of the right lane in both directions between Balaguer and the Sant Antolí exit in Ribera de Ondara. All of this led to emergency repairs starting the following Sunday to fill several potholes, which are now complete.

However, the feeling among road users is that it's just a temporary fix, but nothing has really been solved. The mayors of the area also assert that the problems on the road predate the incidents. "It's a shame we've had to reach this point, because all infrastructure requires maintenance, and in this case, the A-2 hasn't received any," says Jan Pomés, the mayor of Cervera. Francesc Sabanés, the mayor of Ribera de Ondara, agrees, saying the problems have been ongoing for some time: "It seems like we've been abandoned and that Catalonia ends at La Panadella." Francesc Lluch, the mayor of Sant Guim de Freixenet, explains that he found himself caught in the middle of the traffic jams caused by last week's incidents. "Cars with flat tires started piling up, and luckily, we didn't have to mourn any damage other than property damage," he says. And at a time marked by the crisis of the Catalan rail network, other mayors, such as Marc Solsona of Mollerussa, also point out that there is often no alternative to the motorway. "We demand that a route that is such a vital artery be properly maintained," Solsona explains.

Furthermore, the discontent is not only expressed by local entities and residents, but also by haulers who use the road to transport goods. The general secretary of the Catalan Transport Federation of Barcelona (Transcalit), Yolanda Redondo, emphasizes that, although the complaints don't solely stem from the condition of the highway itself, "it's very evident on the A-2." "The weather has exacerbated the situation, but it's clear that it wouldn't be as bad if the road had been in good condition," Redondo explains.

Work on 3 km of the section

The mayors of the Segarra region agree that the initial emergency repairs between Cervera and Ribera de Ondara should serve as temporary improvements. "They've just put some patches on the pavement so they don't have to close the lane for three or four weeks," explains Sabanés. In this regard, Lluch explains that the Regional Council has signed a declaration demanding immediate action to resurface the road and resolve the problem.

In parallel, the State Highways Unit in Lleida and the Directorate General of Highways are working to carry out a second emergency intervention on this same stretch. As Pomés explains, the works would allow progress to be made on three of the 13 total kilometers that are planned for complete renovation between the capital of the Segarra region and La Panadella, starting at the end of March. "We would advance by a month the section that is most damaged," details the mayor of Cervera.

Thus, although Pomés regrets that it has come to this, he says he is satisfied that a solution has now been offered by the Spanish government sub-delegation in Lleida. "The stretch was not in decent condition, but, on the other hand, we are happy that, despite our dissatisfaction, there is now a response on the other end of the phone to find a joint solution," he says.