by Staff Reporter
A 2.7 kilometre stretch of the widening of the Inca-Sa Pobla road will break away from the existing road, forming a completely new one, according to the project which the Balearic government is planning to carry out next year. Francesc Quetglas, the Balearic minister of public works, transport and housing, and Joan Cifre, head of the public works department, presented the official report on the prolongation of the Inca motorway by doubling the width of the road to Sa Pobla, which has five options. The stretch to be widened is 10.1 kilometres, and according to the proposal selected, three roundabouts and four bridges will be built.
The starting point is the southern bypass of Inca.
The first roundabout on a different level will be at the junction of the C-713 with the access to Inca and the hermitage of Santa Magdalena.
The second will link the existing glorieta which serves the towns of Buger and Campanet. And the third, also on a different level, will serve as the first entrance to Sa Pobla and access to the caves of Campanet. The widening will end at the roundabout which distributes the traffic of Sa Pobla, Alcudia, Pollensa and Inca.
The bridges, with a distance of 1.5 kilometres, will allow access to estates affected by the service lanes.
The new stretch of road, from kilometre 3.4 of the country road, is planned for the north of the existing road, which will also be kept in service. Joan Cifre explained that this separation of the road will allow the separation of the local traffic of Buger and Campanet from that of Sa Pobla. This will make it more functional. It will also protect the area of oak trees.
There will be two lanes in each direction, the outer hard shoulder will be 2.5 metres and the inner one one metre.
It will be necessary to expropriate 462'000 square metres of land.
Francesc Quetglas explained that this project is included in the roads agreement between the central and local governments, but in view of the predictable refusal of Madrid, the Balearic government will take on the cost of the project, which comes to 22 million euros. The government and Council of Majorca have been spending considerable sums of money on island roads as the argument over whether more motorways are needed continues. The environmentalists say that they are not necessary as they take up too much land. At the same time, the government is investing heavily in public transport, in an effort to persuade people to leave their cars at home.
The Inca train line has been extended to Sa Pobla and to Manacor, with plans to take it to Alcudia. The frequency of trains between Palma and Marratxi has been increased and bus shuttles established between outlying towns and villages and the nearest station.