Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Work gets under way on Monday, 22 January, to transform the section of Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes above the road tunnels, creating a large space to stroll along, with abundant greenery and spaces for people to spend time in, connecting with the new Parc de les Glòries. When the tunnels opened early in 2022, this major thoroughfare carrying thousands of vehicles a day ended up completely empty. Barcelona City Council provided a provisional urban solution with paint and a temporary furniture, but now the time has come for the definitive project.

The district of Sant Martí now begins the definitive solution for the Gran Via, changing what was an urban motorway into a large pedestrian avenue 21 metres wide and facilitating connections between neighbourhoods and the surrounding area. This new space for the city will be characterised by this central space, featuring numerous play areas and spaces to meet and interact in. Nearly 70,000 square metres of space will be renewed in all. Work starts today on the side nearest the mountains and will last a year. Once completed, work on the side nearest sea will begin and should be completed in the spring of 2026.

Wide pavements, a pedestrian avenue 21 metres wide, meeting spaces and play areas

The side with residential blocks will get a pavement of between 5.25 and 7.35 metres in width, with a services lane and a lane with curbless paving for bicycles, vehicles belonging to local residents and service vehicles. The other side, where the shopping centre is, will get a pavement 4 metres wide, a traffic lane for bicycles and vehicles belonging to local residents, plus space for two tram tracks and buses in both directions. Priority will therefore be given to sustainable mobility, journeys on foot and public uses, in contrast to the configuration before the tunnels opens, when there were eight lanes of traffic.

A large pedestrian avenue 21 metres wide will be created in the centre of the Gran Via with meeting spaces, benches and seats, play areas and recreational furniture. The existing calisthenics elements will also be kept and relocated once the work is completed. Another space will be generated for temporary events such as fairs and celebrations.

These spaces will have pavements with clear colours, helping to reduce the heat island effect in the summer. The project will also favour the management of the water cycle and new lighting installed with lampposts of a more human scale. Once the drought is over, 400 new trees will be planted.