Barcelona Urgell Muntaner works delays have reached a critical point, sparking widespread frustration among residents and businesses.
According to a report in La Vanguardia, year-long postponements on key infrastructure projects are causing severe economic damage and daily chaos.
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Consequently, local shopkeepers report revenue drops of up to 50%, with many now considering permanent closure.
Businesses Bear Brunt of Barcelona Urgell Muntaner Delays
The most affected area is the stretch of Comte d’Urgell between Rosselló and Còrsega. This narrow passage, near the Escola Industrial and Hospital Clínic, remains heavily congested. Furthermore, businesses there describe a complete lack of communication from authorities about the extended timeline. “We haven’t received a single call or visit,” one merchant told reporters, highlighting the absence of any discussion about financial compensation for their losses.
Meanwhile, on Muntaner street, a separate project to build an emergency exit has also stalled due to an archaeologists’ strike. Shopkeepers there signed leases for around €3,000 per month just weeks before works began, without being informed of the impending disruption. “This street used to have a steady stream of people,” explained an optician at the corner with Laforja. “However, the traffic interruption and bus stop relocation have drastically reduced customer flow.”
The situation adds another layer of pressure during a wider cost of living crisis affecting Barcelona families. The accumulated exhaustion is taking a severe toll. “Last August was almost deadly,” one business owner stated. “We cannot withstand another summer like the previous one.”
Additionally, the works have exacerbated tensions between pedestrians, cyclists, and delivery riders. Residents complain of daily altercations on dangerously narrow pavements, with a perceived lack of enforcement from the Guardia Urbana. Police presence is described as sporadic, and when officers do appear, fines are issued for “situations derived from the chaos,” such as delivery vehicles stopping briefly.
In response to the crisis, the council temporarily widened a section of pavement on Muntaner to 4.5 metres for the Christmas campaign. Nevertheless, it will narrow again in January when work resumes with a new contractor. This piecemeal approach has failed to convince affected businesses that their survival is a priority. The Barcelona Urgell Muntaner works delays now represent a significant urban management challenge, with the social and economic cost rising daily.
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