Remodelling works on the Paseo Marítimo in Palma are scheduled to being next year, once the project has been approved by the Ministry of Finance .
The project was presented by Palma Mayor, José Hila, City Model Dignified Housing & Sustainability Councillor, Neus Truyol, Infrastructure & Accessibility Councillor, Angélica Pastor and Balearic Port Authority President, Joan Gual de Torrella, who confirmed that one of the three traffic lanes is being eliminated to make more space for pedestrians.
He explained that three lanes of the Paseo Marítimo will be maintained at the intersections to Palma, but the rest will be reduced to two. He added that a mobility study has been carried out to make sure that the traffic changes “don’t collapse Palma.”
The work will cost 32 million euros and take three years to complete.
The agreement was approved by Palma City Council on Thursday and has already been sanctioned by the Board of Directors of the Port Authority. It states that the APIB will be in charge of the project and Palma City Council will take care of maintenance, which will cost approximately one million euros per year.
Mayor Hila described the remodelling plans as "very ambitious" saying it will transform the first line of Palma and that "breaking the barrier between Palma and the sea is a clear example of the sustainable, green city we want."
He insists that the project will reactivate commercial activity in the area and generate employment, two fundamental issues "in these times of economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic."
He also thanked former Mayor Toni Noguera for promoting the project, saying that “the Paseo Marítimo is a barrier that separates the city from the sea and the goal is to recover that space and make it more pleasant to walk around the area.”
The project will stretch over 169,010 m2 and the APB hopes to put it out to tender in the fourth quarter of 2020. Pavements will be expanded to incorporate cycle lanes and large areas will be made available for pedestrians to walk or rest.
"It will be a very different Palma, with an area for people to walk, ride bikes and enjoy the sea," said Joan Gual de Torrella.
Councillor Truyol added that the remodelling project was a direct response to the climate emergency and the health emergency and stressed that the reduction in traffic brings the city closer to the sea.