The Ciutat de Granada pedestrianisation begins permanently this week. This major change reconfigures Barcelona’s urban fabric near Plaça de les Glòries. Consequently, the city initiates a fundamental geometric shift in the Eixample district’s rigid grid. From Thursday, 15 January, the asphalt on Ciutat de Granada between Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Avinguda Diagonal will no longer serve private vehicles.
This permanent closure is not a temporary blockade. Instead, it represents a strategic infrastructure project. The Barcelona City Council is carving a new path through concrete to allow tram tracks to curve from Gran Via onto the Diagonal. Therefore, this manoeuvre requires the total removal of car traffic from the affected section.
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Rewiring the Urban Circuit for the Ciutat de Granada Pedestrianisation
The logistics of the closure are precise and immediate. While access to the local shopping centre’s car park remains, the street itself is handed to engineers. The initial phase focuses on subsurface work: installing new utilities, laying the platform, and erecting the catenary system. According to official details from the Barcelona City Council, the objective improves pedestrian connections between Glòries and the Diagonal. This transformation creates a transit-oriented axis from a corridor previously dominated by cars.
By Friday, 16 January, the disruption footprint expands significantly. The works will extend onto Avinguda Diagonal itself, forcing a major capacity reduction. On the seaward side (costat mar), two traffic lanes will vanish between Ciutat de Granada and Badajoz streets. This deliberate bottlenecking aligns with Barcelona’s broader strategy to discourage car use. This strategy complements other initiatives like Barcelona’s Low Emission Zone regulations.
The €32 Million Reconfiguration for Tram Integration
To mitigate inevitable friction, the city is reversing traffic flow on surrounding streets. The direction on Ciutat de Granada between Diagonal and Carrer de Bolívia will flip. This creates a new relief valve, directing vehicles through a detour loop: Badajoz to Bolívia, then back onto Ciutat de Granada. Such complex rerouting indicates the major tram works disruption around Plaça de les Glòries.
The project, driven by the City Council and Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM), commands a €32.54 million budget. Engineering challenges are substantial. As works progress, they will encroach upon the central boulevard (rambla) of the Diagonal. While a 3.5-metre pedestrian passage remains, existing cycle lanes on the edges will be dismantled. In their place, a provisional bidirectional cycle lane will operate on the mountain side (costat muntanya).
Residents and commuters should not expect a quick resolution. This infrastructure overhaul is a long-term project. Final completion and full tram integration are forecast for spring 2027. The investment comes as the city experiences record public transport ridership. Until then, the intersection of Gran Via and Ciutat de Granada will remain a construction site. This visible change marks the city’s transition toward a unified electric transport network.
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