The works to create a naturalized tourist route next to Rec Comtal, between the neighborhoods of Vallbona and Trinitat Vella, are expected to start in June, according to municipal sources.
The Consorci del Besòs has recently put out to tender the tender for the work on this section to adapt a path for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as the renaturalization project through which the historic open-air irrigation ditch runs in this area known as La Ponderosa , considered the last great orchard in the city. The expected execution period of the contract is ten months, with a budget of 916,095.76 euros, and the work will take place in an area of ??more than 3,000 square meters.
Among the actions, the planting of trees, the installation of benches and an esplanade as a viewpoint and rest area are contemplated. A biodiversity refuge will also be promoted with the reintroduction of native fauna.
The project is financed with European Next Generation funds within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience plan. In this sense, this initiative aims to “economically energize” the territory with the “creation of a sustainable tourism product” thanks to the rehabilitation of the Rec Comtal and the surrounding roads. The start of the work is preceded by the approval of the Barcelona City Council government commission to transfer 2.9 million euros to the Consorci del Besòs to carry out the works.
This intervention is included in a master plan – approved in January of last year – that marks the roadmap to recover, through different actions, the memory of this ancient irrigation ditch, of which today most of its route has disappeared. .
The Rec Comtal was built at the beginning of the 10th century and supplied Barcelona until the mid-20th century through its almost 13-kilometer-long route, from its source in Montcada i Reixac to Ciutat Vella.