The works to complete the tram connection along the Diagonal will begin in the summer
The goal is for the infrastructure to be ready in 2031, at the end of the next term
BarcelonaThey have been long-awaited, but the work to complete the tram connection along the Diagonal will begin, barring any last-minute unforeseen events, this summer. This was announced by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, in an interview with SER Catalunya, in which he detailed that the City Council's government commission approved this Thursday the necessary financial allocation of 120 million euros to carry out the work, which will be put out to tender in "two or three" weeks.
"The work is starting and the connection must be possible so that by the year 2031 there is a tram that goes from Baix Llobregat to Barcelonès Nord uninterruptedly," defended the mayor, who argued that "it makes perfect sense to finish the connection." The mayor also boasted about how the use of the tram has grown since the section linking Glòries with Verdaguer was opened.
The works that should begin in the summer—after the municipal elections—will transform the 2.8 kilometers of the Diagonal avenue that run from Carrer Girona to Plaça Francesc Macià. The connection will involve creating three new stops (Diagonal-Cinc d'Oros, Balmes and Casanova) and adapting the Francesc Macià interchange.
The idea is that the redevelopment of this section of the Diagonal will provide continuity to what was already done between Glòries and Verdaguer, with wider sidewalks, more vegetation, and more prominence for bicycles. All in all, this should mean an increase of 16,000 square meters of space for pedestrians and an expansion of green areas and bike lanes of 18,900 m² and 1,800 m², respectively.
Taking advantage of the tram works, the City Council will also act on the subsoil by doubling the collector between the streets of Girona and Francesc Macià. Expanding this infrastructure will cost 58 million euros and should contribute to reducing the risk of flooding and surface water circulation on the avenue and the surroundings during torrential rains.
The financing
Last July, the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) and the Barcelona City Council approved the collaboration agreement that defined the institutional framework for executing the works and the subsequent operation of the tram connection along the Diagonal, corresponding to the section between Verdaguer and Francesc Macià. The agreement sets the responsibilities of both administrations and establishes the coordination mechanisms necessary to tender and execute the works, with the aim of reducing disruptions and shortening deadlines.
The text agrees that the Generalitat will fully finance the tram infrastructure through the ATM, with an investment of nearly 97 million euros, while the city council had to contribute 99 for the urbanization of the area and the expansion of the collector. A figure that, including VAT, leads to the 120 million that the City Council has now reserved.
