Barcelona City Council approved a significant public works project to address long-standing structural issues in the Ronda Litoral tunnels. The budget for this project exceeds half a million euros. This rehabilitation work targets a critical section of the city’s B-10 ring road, aiming to provide a permanent solution to water infiltration problems that have plagued the infrastructure for over a decade.
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The project received its initial green light in late February. It will focus on the busy stretch of tunnel between the iconic Columbus Monument and the Moll de la Fusta waterfront in the Port Vell district. Public tender documents state the total intervention cost is budgeted at €690,288.
Problem Persists for Over a Decade
This section of the Ronda Litoral, a key piece of infrastructure built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, has suffered from a “recurring pathology of watertightness and pavement integrity,” as described in the project report. Metrópoli Abierta cited the report, which highlights frequent water leaks, particularly affecting the Llobregat-bound carriageway.
These persistent infiltrations have caused surface-level damage and asphalt degradation. More alarmingly, officials have not ruled out deeper, structural damage to the tunnel’s foundations. This could compromise the stability of the entire roadway if left unaddressed. Previous attempts to fix the leaks proved insufficient, prompting the council to pursue a more definitive solution.
The Technical Solution and Traffic Impact
The planned works will consolidate the ground beneath the tunnel’s foundation slab. This involves selective and repetitive injections of cement grout. This technique will strengthen the underlying terrain and create an impermeable barrier against further water ingress. The project is estimated to take two months.
During this period, drivers can expect intermittent traffic cuts and diversions on one of Barcelona’s busiest routes, potentially causing disruption. These works add to a series of major transport infrastructure projects affecting the region. These include lengthy disruptions on the R2 Sud rail line due to tunnel works in Garraf, and the ongoing expansion of the city’s metro system, which recently saw a giant tunnel boring machine arrive for the L8 line.
A Fortunate Win in Esplugues
Meanwhile, in other local news, a resident in the Barcelona metropolitan area became a multi-millionaire overnight. A single ticket sold in Esplugues de Llobregat scooped the first-category prize in this Thursday’s BonoLoto draw, earning its owner a windfall of €2,641,211.
According to a statement from Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, and reported by Europa Press, the winning ticket was validated at the lottery administration office at Laureà Miró, 229-231. The lucky combination for the March 12 draw included numbers 11, 14, 15, 30, 33, and 41. The complementary number was 43, and the ‘reintegro’ was 0.
