Menorca puts its future to the test
The restriction on vehicle access, the solution to the Rafal Rubí intersection, the impact of the Territorial Plan reform, and the debate on the block model will mark the next twelve months.
PalmThe announced reform of the Island Territorial Plan (PTI) will mark the first months of the year in Menorca, which faces 2026 with a dozen very important challenges and investments.
Limit vehicle entry
Menorca will follow the lead of the Pitiusas Islands this year and limit the number of vehicles entering the island. The measure, which the PP government has delayed throughout its term, is based on a study commissioned from the consulting firm Cinesi, which concludes that the maximum number of cars that can be on the island at any one time is 120,000. The opposition has criticized this limit for its limited effect, since the busiest day of 2025 saw 123,000 vehicles recorded, only 3,000 above the established limit. Menorca was the first island to have a legal tool to limit vehicle access, the Biosphere Reserve Law, but it has not yet been implemented.
The Rafal Rubí Crossing
This year will also see the resolution of the issue surrounding the intersection of the main road with the prehistoric navetas of Rafal Rubí, one of the sites of Talayotic Menorca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that must be preserved, while simultaneously eliminating the planned bridge at this location. The Consell (Island Council) insists on completing the half-built structure despite warnings from the international organization that granted the designation to Menorca. The argument of the PP (People's Party) island government is that the two-level solution improves road safety and does not damage the protected site. However, UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, and several organizations that have mobilized against the project insist on a reconsideration. The budget allocates just over 6.5 million euros for this purpose. Another section of the road between Alaior and Maó where work is already underway—in this case, without controversy—is the Talatí section, which includes a new roundabout to regulate access to the airport.
The headquarters of Talayotic Menorca
The headquarters of the Island Council in Ciutadella will undergo a significant transformation in 2026. The former Ca l'Avi building will be repurposed, creating more office space and a public service area. The Menorca Talayotic Interpretation Center will also be built, a space dedicated to promoting the island's Talayotic heritage among residents and visitors. A new director for the Menorca Talayotic Agency has yet to be appointed, and the vacancies left by experts on the scientific council following the controversy surrounding Rafal Rubí have not yet been filled.
Center of the Reserve in El Yunque
The Biosphere Reserve's interpretation center will be built atop Mount Enclusa. The Consell (Island Council) has revived a project that has been pending for twenty years and expects the final proposal in 2026, which will transform the former US military base in Ferreries into an information center for the Reserve and a youth camp.
A Borne without cars
The Ciutadella City Council will launch the design competition negotiated with the College of Architects to find the best design for Plaça del Born, after removing cars from the square last summer. The Council has won the first legal battle against the business owners who opposed the project and will now have to take steps to improve and consolidate the new pedestrian space.
Repair on the cliff of Maó
In 2026, urgent work will begin in Maó to repair and reinforce the section of the Muret del Puerto seawall that collapsed a few weeks ago, causing serious damage to the Xoriguer factory. The governing board of the Maó Port Cliff Consortium will invest one million euros to prevent further landslides in the area. It will also have to reactivate preventative investments in other sections of the cliff to avoid any more incidents.
Malbúger denitrification plant
A serious problem affecting Mahón is the water supply, which has been undrinkable for a significant portion of the population for over a year. The City Council announced that it will reconnect the Malbúger denitrification plant at the beginning of the year, as its malfunction caused the problem. The new Sant Climent denitrification plant, which will guarantee the water supply for the population during the winter, will also be operational in 2026.
Connection for supplying desalinated water
The Galician Ministry of the Sea will begin construction this year of the new pipeline connecting the Ciutadella desalination plant to the Caragolí municipal reservoir. This pipeline will supply desalinated water to the old town and provide relief to the municipality's most overexploited wells. The pipeline will cost 7.5 million euros and will follow a route of almost seven kilometers. Additionally, a dispenser will be installed at the desalination plant so that tanker trucks can load and transport desalinated water to other municipalities, providing an emergency solution for situations like that of Maó.
248 new Ibavi apartments
Housing, the main problem for many residents, will be another front on the island. The Balearic Housing Institute (Ibavi) plans to launch eleven new developments in Menorca, bringing 248 apartments to the market. Furthermore, the Island Council has allocated one and a half million euros to purchase land for Ibavi to carry out projects.
New maritime station
This year, the plans for the new maritime station on the Ciutadella dock will be finalized. Budgeted at €15 million, the Balearic Government hopes to open it in 2028. This infrastructure is essential, as the outer port of Ciutadella has been operating with a temporary terminal since its opening in 2011, despite the high number of passengers. In recent years, it has served over 600,000 people.
Own nursing home
In the coming months, the nursing homes built in Castell and Migjorn Gran will open, the only two municipalities that did not yet have a residence for the elderly. The nursing home converted into the former Santiago barracks in Maó will also be inaugurated. The Consell (Island Council) and the municipalities intend for the island's nursing homes to be managed through the Menorca Social and Healthcare Resources Consortium, which currently only manages the Santa Rita center in Ciutadella. Taking over the three new nursing homes will increase the Consell's personnel costs by 16%.
Vocational training on the island
Menorca will give a boost to vocational training in the coming months. The 2026-2027 academic year will see the opening of the integrated vocational training center for Hospitality and Tourism, food industries, and professional certifications, built in the former port terminal of Ciutadella. This facility will address a long-standing demand from the sector. Until now, Menorca was the only island with a public hospitality school. Later, the future integrated vocational training center, currently under construction on the site of the former Conde de Cifuentes barracks in El Castell, will focus on training in Construction, Civil Engineering, Textiles, Clothing, and Leatherwork.
