Lorry ban lifted as Catalonia returns to normal

After a night and a morning blanketed in snow, most parts of Catalonia were returning to normal by Wednesday evening. One sign of the return to routine was the lifting of the restrictions on lorries, which had been banned from circulating anywhere on the country’s road network on Tuesday evening, before the first major snowfalls began.  

From 3pm on Wednesday, Catalan police gradually began allowing lorries back on to the AP-7, AP-2 and C-32 motorways, on which tolls were made free for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes until 6pm. Lorries began leaving the large motorway service stations, such as Jonquera on the AP-7 or Lleida on the AP-2, after spending 20 hours forcibly grounded due to the snow.

Yet, the association of manufacturers and distributors, AECOC, complained about the “disproportionate” banning of lorries and expressed “concern” over its economic impact. In a statement, the association said it “fully” shared the Catalan traffic service’s aim of ensuring road safety, but regretted the “excessive” measures that could harm the economy.

However, the return to normality did not affect all parts of Catalonia. While most of the country’s roads had returned to normal by Wednesday evening, the Catalan traffic service reported 84 stretches of the network still affected by ice, particularly in inland and northern areas, with snow chains mandatory on 69 of them and three roads completely closed.