Commuters on one of Barcelona’s busiest bus routes face changes to their journeys from this Wednesday, as major urbanisation works on Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes force a temporary diversion. The H12 bus line will alter its path through the Sant Martí district for passengers travelling towards Besòs, a measure that will remain in place for the duration of the construction project.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) announced on Tuesday the necessary changes affecting a critical section of the route. The ongoing works on Gran Via, one of the city’s principal thoroughfares, necessitate a complete rerouting of the H12 service between Carrer de Bilbao and the bustling transport hub of Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.

The New Route and Stop Changes

TMB details show H12 buses heading towards Besòs will now detour from their standard path. The temporary route will navigate through Carrer de Badajoz, Carrer de la Independència, Avinguda Meridiana, and Carrer d’Aragó before rejoining the regular itinerary at Carrer de Bilbao.

Consequently, this diversion will temporarily suspend two stops: Gran Via – Llacuna (stop 795) and Gran Via – Bilbao (stop 385). To minimise disruption and maintain service for local passengers, TMB has established two alternative stops. Commuters can now use the new stops located at Carrer de Bilbao, 217 and on Avinguda Meridiana, 82-86.

The alteration only affects services travelling east towards the Besòs River. The route in the opposite direction, towards Gornal, remains unchanged.

A Vital City Artery

The H12 line is a cornerstone of Barcelona’s orthogonal bus network, a high-frequency grid system designed for efficient cross-city travel. It connects Gornal, in the neighbouring municipality of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, with the Besòs-Verneda neighbourhood, traversing almost the entire length of Gran Via. A recent Barna.News report highlighted the route’s importance, noting how its high-frequency service cuts wait times to just five minutes in central sections.

This diversion marks the latest in a series of interruptions affecting public transport and traffic flow across the city, as Barcelona continues to invest in major infrastructure projects. For instance, similar large-scale works have recently caused significant changes. These range from the months-long disruption to the R2 Sud train line to the ongoing expansion of the metro, where an L9 tunnel-boring machine recently reached Sant Gervasi. Even Gran Via itself is no stranger to unexpected closures, such as the traffic halt caused by a gas leak in L’Hospitalet.

Planning Your Journey

In light of the changes, the Barcelona City Council has issued advice for all H12 users. Officials recommend that passengers plan their journeys well in advance and allow for extra travel time. The council also urges the public to pay close attention to the new signage at affected bus stops.

For the most current information, passengers should consult TMB’s official communication channels. Real-time updates on the H12 diversion and other service alterations are available on the TMB app, its journey planner website ‘Vull Anar’, and its social media accounts. This advice echoes that given during other major events, like the bus disruptions caused by the Moritz Sant Antoni Race.

20 Minutos first detailed the report, confirming the temporary route will remain in effect until the urbanisation works conclude. However, a specific end date has not yet been announced.