Barcelona north exit vehicle tunnel in full force from Sunday after 7 years of works

Seven years of disruptions in Barcelona's north exit for vehicles will come to an end this Sunday, as the new tunnel below Glòries square that has been under construction since 2015 will be fully operational.

In the early hours of Sunday, cars entering the Catalan capital towards the Llobregat river will be the first southbound vehicles to enter the tunnel – the other way, towards the Besòs river, has been open since November 6, 2021.

The local council acknowledges that "it has been one of the most complex works ever carried out in the city," which have resulted in a 957-meter long tunnel with two ways separated from each other by a wall.

Once vehicles exit the tunnel, they will be able to turn right on Bilbao street through the right lane and go to Marina street through the middle one. The left lane will be reserved for buses, which will be the only ones allowed to continue straight on Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes.

Buses and taxis willing to use the side lane of Gran Via will have a specific exit right before reaching the tunnel, while other private vehicles that want to use this lane will have to take the last exit on the C-31 road before the tunnel, 'sortida 207 Bac de Roda/Poblenou'.

While private vehicles will now go in and out of Barcelona below Plaça Glòries, a 10-hectare park that is already partly open will take over cars above the square.

'Gain for public transport'

The council believes the works now coming to an end will lead to "a significant gain for public transport."

Indeed, only public transport, local residents, and emergency services will be allowed to drive between the Bilbao and Padilla streets.

Authorities also aim to eliminate a barrier for neighbors between one side and the other of Glòries square, occupied until 2014 by a so-called 'drum' that used to indicate directions for vehicles.

Long-standing controversy surrounding works

The project has been a source of contention due to the time the works have been going on for.

Barcelona first awarded the contract for the project in 2010, but works began on April 25, 2015, with an initial cost of €60 million. They were initially planned to last 25 months, with the finishing date set for May 9, 2017.

Yet, in April 2017 the local council ended the contract with the companies that had won the public tender on the grounds that an audit had spotted "a 19-month delay and a possible 19.6% price increase." The works were halted until March 2018, when they then resumed.