The Nadal Academy roundabout tightens the tension between the Consell and Manacor City Council.

PalmThe traffic problems caused by the Rafa Nadal Academy, the Torre de los Enagistes municipal sports center, and the Manacor History Museum in a small space on the MA-4015 highway should have been resolved long ago. Far from this, it seems that the talks between the Consell de Mallorca and the City Council, led by Miquel Oliver, have reached a worrying impasse; and what's worse: with not one, but two roundabouts in sight that no one wants to pay for.

Since its construction in 2016, the Manacor star's tennis academy has offered complementary services not only for residents but also for the general public, who can access gym classes or the indoor pool for a fee. The problem is that these facilities use the public parking lot, designed solely (in terms of size and capacity) for the soccer field and the adjacent athletics track, which are municipally owned.

A barrier

"What would happen if we installed a barrier to allow only accredited users to enter our facilities?" Oliver asks aloud, tired of receiving no response from the Consell (Consell) to the municipal technical proposals. The mayor of Manacor refers to the traffic generated not only by nearby homes but also by the museum, a bar located opposite, and, above all, by a large quarry located a few kilometers away, where trucks and cement mixers frequently pass. "A roundabout in front of a private academy," Oliver adds. And if the situation doesn't change, the island's Highway Department is opening the door to building not one, but two roundabouts in a space of just 100 meters. The first, at the Rafa Nadal Academy, would include a direct entrance to the public parking lot, an option that the Consell (Consell) should, in any case, allow for the road leading to the future parking lot that the academy has agreed to build by agreement. Otherwise, we could consider installing a barrier to allow access only to users of public facilities." Who should pay the bill?

And all this, but who should bear the financial cost of building the roundabouts? In principle, according to the agreement signed between the academy's owners and Manacor City Council, the Nadal family should cover half the budget for one (still to be determined), as well as provide green areas and a space for a new parking lot. The other half should be paid by the City Council. The initial budget, a decade ago, was estimated at €500,000 (€250,000 for each party), "but with rising prices, we're looking at double that."

Added to all this is a second roundabout, of similar dimensions and cost, which should be shared equally by the Consell de Mallorca and the City Council. However, the latter fears that "the portion corresponding to the academy will also end up being assumed by the island's Highway Department."

The City Council has already requested a new meeting with the island director, Rafel Gelabert, and the regional minister for land use, Fernando Rubio, to once again discuss the needs of these crossings after six months of incommunicado detention.