The mayor of Mont-roig del Camp has issued an urgent demand for the Spanish government to fast-track improvement works on the N-340 highway, following a damning report that identified a local section as the most dangerous stretch of road in the entire country. The call to action comes after years of administrative delays have stalled a multi-million euro project designed to enhance safety.

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Fran Morancho, the town’s mayor, has publicly urged the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to immediately tender the long-awaited upgrades. His renewed plea follows the publication of the latest Risk Map report from the RACC (Real Automóvil Club de Cataluña), which analysed data from 2022 to 2024.

A ‘Very High’ Risk Section

The RACC study identified an approximately six-kilometre segment of the N-340 within Mont-roig del Camp, Tarragona, as having the highest risk index in Spain. This specific section, running between the town and the T-323 road intersection, recorded a risk index of 200.9, classifying it as “very high” risk.

The report states that this stretch handles an average daily traffic volume exceeding 2,300 vehicles. Over the three-year period analysed, it saw three separate accidents resulting in either fatalities or serious injuries, making it a statistical blackspot on the national road network.

‘We Can’t Wait Any Longer’

The mayor’s frustration stems from a proposed €12 million safety project that has been caught in bureaucratic limbo for over two years.

This plan, which aims to “humanise” the road by making it safer for all users, has reportedly been shuttled between the ministry’s central offices in Madrid and its regional services in Catalonia on at least four occasions.

“It has been sent to Madrid for review and has returned to Catalonia up to four times,” Morancho stated, as reported by Diari Catalunya. “We can’t wait any longer; this project is a necessity.”

The proposed upgrades are comprehensive. They include reducing vehicle lanes to calm traffic, creating dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lanes, installing new and improved lighting, and constructing several roundabouts at key intersections. Roundabouts are planned for the entrance to the popular coastal area of Miami Platja and other nearby urbanisations, which currently feature hazardous access points directly onto the high-speed road.

A Vital but Hazardous Artery

The N-340 is one of Spain’s longest national highways, stretching over 1,000 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast from Cádiz to Barcelona. For decades, it has served as a critical artery for local traffic, commercial transport, and tourism. However, many sections, particularly those passing through urbanised areas like Mont-roig del Camp, lack sufficient updates to cope with modern traffic demands and safety standards.

With the RACC report now providing stark evidence of the risks, the local government, led by the Ajuntament de Mont-roig del Camp, hopes the central government will finally break the deadlock. For residents and drivers who use the road daily, the promised safety improvements cannot come soon enough.