Seven entities charge against the 350 million of the second beltway of Palma
The organizations question that the new infrastructure resolves the mobility problems of Mallorca and demand more alternatives to the car
PalmaSeven entities linked to mobility, the train, cycling, and the defense of the territory have questioned the second beltway project for Palma, presented this week by the Council of Mallorca with an expected investment of 350 million euros. The Train Users Association, Vianants Mallorca, Terraferida, Amics de la Terra, Anti-Highway Platform, Maria Poble Petit Platform, and Sineu en Bici i a Peu consider that the action does not respond to the mobility needs of a large part of the island.
The project presented by the Council foresees an action in two phases, with a cost of 90 million euros for the first and 260 million for the second. The latter includes a tunnel of approximately one kilometer and a boulevard on the surface. The works have a global term that approaches six years.
The entities consider that the investment focuses on access to Palma while mobility problems in the municipalities of the Part Forana remain pending. They cite as an example Sineu, where they ensure that for ten months they have been demanding the Council to make safer a pedestrian crossing used every day by the students of CEIP Rodamilans.
They also point out the crossing of Campos, which a study by the same Council identifies as a conflict point, and demand actions that allow making these urban spaces safer before continuing to expand the road network.
From 110 to 350 million
One of the main arguments of the seven entities is the increase in the budget compared to the first version of the project. They recall that in 2024 the second ring road was presented with a cost of 110 million euros, while now the announced investment is 350 million. The current project incorporates, among other actions, the underground section.
The platforms also question that it has not been specified how many vehicles it will allow to be removed from the beltway. The Council defends that the action will serve to decongest the accesses to Palma, while the entities maintain that expanding road capacity can generate more traffic.
In the document, they compare this situation with the United States' road expansion model during the 20th century and argue that a new lane can end up being occupied by new vehicles.
The entities also relate the project to the Sectoral Master Plan for Mobility of the Balearic Islands, approved in 2019, which set as a goal that by 2026, 36% of residents' trips would be made in private vehicles, compared to the starting 56%. They consider that the expansion of the road network does not contribute to achieving this goal.
Another of the arguments is the dependence on private vehicles in the Part Forana. The entities ensure that in the Balearic Islands there are 913 vehicles for every 1,000 inhabitants and relate this figure to the lack of alternatives to get to work, health services, and other municipalities without a car.
For this reason, they demand that the investment in mobility also be directed towards public transport, travel on foot and by bicycle, and the improvement of road safety in the towns. The second ring road project reserves space for a future train stop towards Migjorn, but the entities consider it insufficient that this connection is still in the study phase.