The Barcelona City Council has started this week the installation of the first 56 slabs of the new roof of the Ronda de Dalt, between Vallcarca Avenue and the IES Vall d'Hebron. The work is being carried out at night to minimise traffic impact.
The Barcelona City Council has begun this week the decisive phase to cover the Ronda de Dalt in the section between Vallcarca Avenue and the Vall d'Hebron Institute. The placement of the first 56 pieces, out of a total of 101, marks the beginning of the end of a project that will generate more than 16,000 square meters of new public space for residents of the Vall d'Hebron, Montbau, la Teixonera, Sant Genís dels Agudells, and Vallcarca neighbourhoods.
The slabs, measuring 12.3 meters long and 2.4 meters wide, will be installed until August 6. The work is carried out at night, from Monday to Thursday, to minimise disruptions to mobility. A large crane is responsible for placing the pieces over the tunnel, which necessitates diverting traffic towards Besòs along the mountain side of the Vall d'Hebron promenade.
For safety reasons, traffic is completely closed in both directions between exits 5 (Vall d'Hebron) and 6 (Vallcarca) of the ring road during night working hours. The operation will remain active until August 6, always at night to minimise disruptions.
The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has described the progress of the works as "a very important qualitative leap in a process long demanded by residents." "We have always believed that the neighbourhoods should be connected. It is a way to gain public and green space, and it is a way to calm the ring roads," added Collboni.
Once the 56 slabs are placed, the focus will shift to the tunnel's installations: lighting, ventilation, security systems, and communications. Between August 3 and 24, the slow lane in both directions of the central trunk of the ring road between exits 5 and 6 will be permanently occupied. This continuous occupation will help reduce future night closures and optimise resources by avoiding much of the implementation and de-implementation tasks of the project.
The forecast is that the total and definitive coverage of the tube will be completed by 2027. The section currently being covered, 340 meters long, will add to the 200 meters already covered previously between the Vall d'Hebron Market and the institute. Thus, the new public space will particularly benefit residents of Sant Genís dels Agudells and la Teixonera.
The structural works represent a total planned investment of around 12 million euros. This amount must be added to the cost of the covering, installations, and finishes of the tunnel, which represent an additional 20 million euros. The urbanisation project for the new space generated is being defined in its own project.
The intervention responds to a long-standing demand from residents and is part of the major city pact with community entities and political groups initiated at the beginning of the term to transform this road infrastructure and its surroundings.
Residents in the area will see how, from now on, the noise and pollution from the ring road are progressively reduced, while gaining a new green lung and a meeting space. The works will continue over the coming months, with controlled disruptions limited to night hours.
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