Barcelona is set for one of its busiest traffic days of the year on Monday, 25 May, as an estimated 300,000 vehicles return to the metropolitan area from the second Easter holiday.
The Catalan Traffic Service, Servei Català de Trànsit, has put a special operation in place for the return journey. The main pressure point is the short time window, with most of the traffic expected between 12:00 and midnight, which is more concentrated than last year’s Easter Monday return of around 270,000 cars.
Drivers heading back to Barcelona should expect delays on the AP-7, especially in the Vallès area, where queues already topped 40 kilometres during the outbound traffic on Friday and Saturday. Other problem sections include the AP-7 south near Alt Penedès and the AP-7 north towards the Costa Brava. For live route checks, the traffic map for Catalonia may help with planning.
Congestion is expected to build on Barcelona’s access roads between 17:00 and 22:00. The C-31 and C-32 from Maresme and Garraf, the C-58 and the B-23 are likely to be the worst hit, along with the Nus de la Trinitat junction, Ronda de Dalt and Ronda del Litoral. The traffic service has also set up more than 150 kilometres of reversible lanes on the AP-7, the C-32 north and the B-23 to Barcelona.
Heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are banned from the AP-7 during the afternoon peak. The Mossos d'Esquadra have deployed 1,260 officers and will carry out more than 1,000 checks for speeding, alcohol and drug use. The traffic service also said there had been three deaths on Catalan roads over the long weekend.
There was already disruption on Monday morning after an accident closed one lane of the AP-7 near Roda de Berà, towards Tarragona, causing queues of 1 to 2 kilometres. If you are travelling back into the city, allow extra time and consider public transport where possible. For more Barcelona updates, see our community coverage and sport coverage.
