Rubí City Council has initiated legal proceedings against Sant Cugat City Council. The action aims to affirm co-ownership of a vital bridge. It also seeks to recover half the costs of its emergency safety repairs. This decision came during Rubí’s municipal plenary session on Thursday, 28 March.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

The dispute centres on the bridge connecting Avinguda de Gaudí with the C-1413a road. This infrastructure spans a local stream. Rubí City Council executed essential safety improvements on the bridge. However, Sant Cugat City Council has refused to contribute to the expenses.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

The conflict’s origin dates back to April 2025. At that time, Rubí City Council informed Sant Cugat City Council and the Decentralised Municipal Entity of Valldoreix of its intention to perform emergency works. Rubí also communicated its plan to charge half the cost to Sant Cugat. It considers Sant Cugat a co-owner of the bridge.

Sant Cugat subsequently presented objections to this decision. It then launched a patrimonial investigation to determine the bridge’s ownership. In February of this year, Sant Cugat’s plenary session approved a resolution. This resolution denied its ownership of the bridge. Consequently, Sant Cugat disclaimed responsibility for the costs of the works. Rubí City Council had already carried out these works. Rubí’s municipal legal services recommended judicial action. This aims to protect the municipality’s interests.

Rubí and Sant Cugat are two significant municipalities in the Vallès Occidental comarca. They form part of the larger Barcelona metropolitan area. Infrastructure sharing and maintenance responsibilities between neighbouring towns often lead to complex legal and financial challenges. This particular bridge serves as a crucial link for local residents and commuters using the C-1413a, a key regional road. Ensuring its structural integrity and safety is paramount for both communities.

The municipal plenary session on Thursday, 28 March, opened with an intervention from Mayor Ana María Martínez Martínez. She expressed the Council’s gratitude to the security forces and the Rubí Swimming Club. This was for their effective management of an incident at the Can Rosés swimming pool on 18 March. Facilities were evacuated due to collective intoxication.

New Noise and Vibrations Ordinance

Rubí’s municipal plenary session also gave initial approval to a draft ordinance. This regulation governs noise and vibrations within the municipality. The new rule aims to prevent and correct acoustic pollution. The City Council recognises this as a major public concern. Excessive noise can negatively impact residents’ quality of life. It potentially causes harmful effects on individual and social well-being.

The ordinance establishes municipal measures and instruments. These address acoustic contamination from various sources. These include installations, machinery, construction projects, neighbourhood relations, public behaviour, and any public or private activities. All are capable of generating noise or vibration pollution. The new framework introduces acoustic zoning, activity-based limitations, an inspection and control system, and a sanctioning regime. The ordinance received broad support. Favourable votes came from the governing coalition, which includes the Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC) and En Comú Podem (ECP). Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), VOX, the Partit Popular (PP), and Veïns per Rubí (VR) also voted in favour. Alternativa d’Unitat Popular (AUP) abstained. The draft will now undergo a public information period of at least 30 days.

Enhanced Public Transport for Students

Additionally, the plenary session unanimously approved an urgent modification. This change affects the public urban transport service contract. It will reinforce the bus service at the J. V. Foix Institute stop at 14:30. The measure responds to recurrent overcrowding at this stop. This occurs due to the simultaneous departure of students from the educational centre.

The additional bus aims to disperse the large number of users. It will also improve safety during transport access. Furthermore, it seeks to reduce conflicts among passengers. It guarantees an adequate service provision for students. This reinforcement will be implemented from the beginning of the third term until 19 June. It will resume from 8 September to 21 December of this year. The City Council expects this measure to significantly alleviate current congestion. This will be combined with potential actions by the institute’s management.

Broader Municipal Developments

The March plenary session addressed nearly thirty agenda items. These included human resources matters. The council acknowledged the hiring of Marc Sanabria Robledo as the new City Council manager. It also approved a new phase for evaluating local corporation job positions. This phase will affect 228 employees. Furthermore, the council reviewed the 2027-2029 medium-term budget plan and the 2026 annual regulatory plan. It also noted the first quarter of 2025’s payment arrears and average payment period to suppliers.

Given the extended budget, the council approved the availability of nominative subsidies for the current fiscal year. A budgetary modification, in the form of an extraordinary credit, also received approval. This will allocate resources to the Smart Rubí project. This project is part of the integrated action plan “Respira Rubí”. It aims to integrate data and technology for improved urban decision-making and management. The council also extended the cleaning contract for public schools and other municipal facilities for two years.

The legal challenge regarding the Rubí bridge dispute highlights ongoing complexities in inter-municipal infrastructure management across Catalonia. Meanwhile, the new noise ordinance will proceed to public consultation. This allows residents to provide feedback before its final approval. The enhanced bus service for J. V. Foix Institute students will improve daily commutes for many young people in Rubí. These decisions collectively reflect the City Council’s efforts to address both long-standing infrastructure issues and immediate community needs.

Originally published by Rubí. Read original article.