Barcelona's ring roads and major access routes experienced severe traffic congestion on Friday afternoon, with queues stretching up to 9 kilometres on the Ronda de Dalt and lane closures on the Ronda Litoral. This widespread disruption significantly impacted commuters and residents across the metropolitan area.
Extensive Delays Across Key Routes
Intense Friday afternoon traffic, combined with multiple accidents, caused significant congestion across Catalonia's road network, particularly on routes accessing the Barcelona metropolitan area. The Ronda Litoral saw queues in both directions, with one lane closed between Barcelona and Sant Adrià de Besòs. Meanwhile, the Ronda de Dalt was one of the most congested sections, reporting up to 9 kilometres of slow-moving traffic at the Nus de la Trinitat interchange.
According to El Periódico Barcelona, the AP-7 motorway was also severely affected. A lorry accident near Badia del Vallès caused several stretches of congestion from Cerdanyola del Vallès and Sant Cugat, heading towards Girona. Additionally, 3-kilometre queues formed between Mollet, Montmeló, and Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, where authorities closed a lane in the early afternoon.
Metropolitan Area Access Impacted
Other key access routes into the Catalan capital also faced difficulties. A broken-down vehicle on the C-58 forced a lane closure at the entrance to Barcelona, generating multi-kilometre queues. On the B-30, queues accumulated between Barberà del Vallès, Badia del Vallès, and Sant Cugat del Vallès in both directions, complicating access to the AP-7. These incidents collectively created a challenging driving environment for thousands of daily commuters.
Further incidents included an accident on the C-31 in Badalona, which kept one lane closed towards Barcelona. The A-2 also experienced intense traffic in various sections of the Baix Llobregat area. Near Abrera, only one lane remained open to traffic heading towards Lleida. These widespread issues highlight the vulnerability of Barcelona's road network to peak-time demand and unforeseen events.
Outlook for Drivers
Drivers should anticipate similar conditions during peak travel times, especially on Friday afternoons, when traffic volume is typically high. Authorities advise checking real-time traffic updates from the Servei Català de Trànsit before embarking on journeys to or from Barcelona's metropolitan area.
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Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.
