The Barcelona City Council has announced plans to implement new safety measures at the city’s most dangerous traffic intersection, where Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes meets Carrer Selva de Mar. The junction, located in the Sant Martí district, was the site of 18 separate accidents in 2025, resulting in 17 minor injuries.


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The proposed changes, which include updated signaling and the potential installation of a speed camera, were discussed in a meeting on Monday between city officials and local residents. According to reporting by El Periódico, the meeting was attended by Sant Martí district manager Josep Garcia Puga, Director of Mobility Services Lídia Torres, and the Guàrdia Urbana’s head of traffic reports, Carlos Pastor, along with members of the Amics de la Gran Via neighbors’ association.

City officials confirmed that while all injuries sustained at the intersection last year were classified as minor, the high frequency of incidents has prompted a formal review. The council has committed to drafting a comprehensive study of vehicle movements and traffic flow to “evaluate the ideal solution to reduce the accident rate.”

A Notorious Blackspot

The problematic junction is on the mountain-facing side of the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, one of Barcelona’s main arteries and, at over 13 kilometers, the longest street in Catalonia. The specific danger point involves a three-lane section where driver error frequently leads to collisions.

The leftmost lane is designated for turning left onto Carrer Selva de Mar, but residents report that many drivers illegally continue straight towards Plaça de les Glòries. This creates a high-risk situation, as vehicles in the middle lane, which are permitted to turn left, can collide with those improperly proceeding straight from the inner lane.

The Amics de la Gran Via association has been flagging this issue for years. They point out that the current traffic signals are positioned on the right side of the road, whereas the accidents are concentrated on the left. The city has agreed that “the signaling will be improved in the short term.”

Disagreement Over Punitive Measures

While the proposal for a traffic study was welcomed, the suggestion of installing a speed radar has met with resistance from the residents’ group.

“We are against any punitive measures,” the association stated, emphasizing its preference to await the results of the traffic studies before permanent solutions are implemented.

The City Council has given the neighbors’ association approximately three months to present its own conclusions and suggestions. Despite the disagreement over the radar, the association noted a “good predisposition” from the council to collaboratively address the long-standing traffic blackspot.

In addition to the signaling and radar, residents have requested several other improvements. They highlighted that road markings on the asphalt are faded and “barely visible,” calling for them to be repainted. They also requested the installation of a guardrail to protect the Bicing station located on the upper side of Gran Via, recalling an incident a few years ago when a car crashed into the public rental bikes.

Further maintenance in the vicinity was also discussed, with the city reportedly agreeing to repair a protective barrier on the bridge where Gran Via crosses over the C-31 motorway, which was recently damaged in a collision.

The issue has also drawn attention at the political level. The Junts per Catalunya municipal group has formally submitted a request to the local government, urging it to revise mobility in the area and analyze how to prevent the “frequent accidents” at the site. The city’s actions align with its broader goals for sustainable and safe mobility, and efforts by the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona to reduce traffic-related injuries across the city.

Primary source: El Periódico Barcelona.