Next year, a few months late, Barcelon
to will put into service after years under construction, not without controversy, the Glòries square road tunnel. A Pharaonic work at a cost of 149.2 million euros –Without counting the facilities– that has never convinced the current government team and now, in full de-escalated and when the pedestrian gains space at the expense of private traffic, much less. The conviction that it is an infrastructure from other times has been installed more strongly in the Sant Jaume square and the intention is to start studying and other uses for this underground passage so that its 958 meters in length can circulate other sustainable mobility vehicles, and even bicycles.
“Does it make sense to open an underground tunnel exclusively for car traffic in 2021, when the city has serious pollution problems?” This is the question asked by the Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Janet Sanz. He believes that the situation has changed since 2007 – the year in which the Glòries pact was signed – and the city now has other priorities. “The proposal that was made in its day,” he explains, “corresponds to an outdated mobility model.” That is why he believes that the pandemic has opened an opportunity and Barcelona should take advantage of it. “We cannot put into service a tunnel through which only cars circulate. They must also be able to pass bicycles, urban and intercity buses, and prioritize non-polluting vehicles. ”
The City Council wants to preserve many of the restrictions imposed on the private vehicle during the de-escalation to reduce traffic and pollution. Changes in the use of the tunnel could be an example of a city project that is modified to incorporate more sustainable mobility. Especially since next to one of the exits is a school that would be affected by the incessant circulation. In fact, Sanz explains that there are already tunnels of this type through which bicycles circulate in other European cities and, although he does not state how this can be done, he assures that in the coming weeks it will be studied whether it is possible to make the changes.
The works continue while the traffic in the plaza is maintained
(Xavier Cervera)
Little altered calendar
The investment for the underground passage is assured and the works will finish in 2021
However, the City Council’s plans could run into some stumbling block given the complexity of the infrastructure. In the end, the depth of the passage is greater than planned and the screen walls have had to be built 45 meters deep to save the train and metro lines. This has caused that the slope in the accesses and exits of the infrastructure is too steep. On the Castillejos street side it is 7.78% and on the Badajoz side it is 7.9%, a situation that could cause problems for the circulation of certain types of vehicles.
The continuation of the work in the subsoil is assured, despite the future revision of the budgets to face the coronavirus crisis. An investment of more than 40 million euros was foreseen for this year and the City Council considers infrastructure to be a priority. Sanz clarifies that the work must be completed for safety, since it is not feasible to leave it half-built, and so that it does not entail an added expense.
Another question will be the performance on the surface of the square where the Canòpia Urbana garden is built. “We are waiting to see what is decided with the budgets and surely the investment for the green area will be affected this year. Hopefully the next one will be different, ”says the councilor, assuming that surface work in the park and on Gran Via should be rescheduled.
Non-stop in the pandemic
Groundwater pumping has been maintained to prevent flooding
The pandemic has changed the schedule of works. The deputy mayor assures the delay of a couple of months. Since March 14, groundwater pumping work has not stopped to prevent flooding of the infrastructure. The rest of the intervention in the plaza and on the Gran Via was paralyzed for weeks and the construction of the tunnels was resumed between May 7 and 11. The five work zones are working at a good pace, according to municipal sources, although having to respect security measures due to the Covid-19 can slow down the entire process. The first section, the one that runs through Castillejos, is already finished and now the diversion of the collector is carried out. Meanwhile, in the tunnel area leading to Badajoz street, the voussoirs of the underpasses of the R3 and R4 railway lines and the L1 of the metro are being executed. In the next section, already on the Gran Via, the work on the emergency exits in Llacuna, Ciutat de Granada and Escultor Claperós streets is being completed, and in the last section that reaches the Rambla del Poblenou, the works are concentrated on the mountain side.
–
