The Alaro to Orient road that was damaged by Storm Gloria in January was officially reopened on Monday in that the work was visited by the Council of Majorca's councillor for infrastructure, Ivan Sevillano, and the mayors of Alaro and Bunyola.
The work was actually completed in June, this having involved the containment and stabilisation of the slope that collapsed and produced the landslide that led to the road being closed. There was also reinforcement of slopes in an adjacent 600 metre area.
Due to the risk of further landslides, the rocks and mud that fell on the road couldn't be removed immediately. The initial tasks therefore concentrated on stabilising the upper part of the slope and its subsidence. The debris on the road could only be removed once this was done. It was also necessary to fell some trees and to carry out additional work to prevent the slope collapsing in the future. One lane of the road was initially reopened in March, which allowed traffic to pass in alternate directions.
During a second phase of work, a containment mesh was anchored into the lower part of the slope with over 1,000 bolts. This will eventually be covered by vegetation.
Sevillano said that his department had at all times worked with the greatest possible speed in order to restore traffic, "and without endangering people's safety". For Llorenç Perelló and Andreu Bujosa, the mayors of Alaro and Bunyola, the work means that there will be greater safety for the main access route to Orient.
The final cost was 652,000 euros. The Council of Majorca is still waiting for the Spanish government to forward 50% of the funding, which is "usual for emergency works caused by catastrophic events".