Plaza Francesc Macià, under-equipped with underground rail transport systems, will be one of the areas that will benefit the most from the extension of the L8 of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) between Plaza Espanya and Gràcia. But until this four-kilometer connection that will be executed with a tunnel boring machine becomes a reality – the forecast is to have it ready by the end of 2029 – there is a lot of work to do and, also, inconveniences to endure. This Monday, the official start day of the works, this enclave will begin to be affected, which will house one of the three new planned stations. Surface work will also be launched at other points along the route.
The first actions are occupation of the work, tastings of the land or the execution of some collectors, and will involve, in the coming months and progressively, the closure of spaces that in this initial phase that the City Council foresees will have little impact on the mobility.
The works will be located in six areas: Plaza de España and Gran Via, Calle Urgell at the height of Consell de Cent, Rosselló and between Buenos Aires and Plaza de Francesc Macià, and the area of ??Plaza de Gal·la Placídia close to Travessera de Gràcia.
In the Francesc Macià area, the work will consist of work occupations and previous actions to divert affected infrastructure. The first will be done starting tomorrow on the Llobregat-mountain corner at the Urgell intersection with Buenos Aires, and also inside the block. Starting Thursday, tastings will be held to locate services. These interventions will occupy two traffic lanes and that of the Urgell bus, in the section between Francesc Macià and Buenos Aires. A general lane will remain open. The reserved area for bikes will not be affected. The buses will move their stops to the intersection of Urgell and Paris streets.
The Plaza Espanya area, where the tunnel boring machine will enter, starting on Thursday, tastings will be held on the mountain sidewalk of Gran Via, in front of the Francesc Macià school. Then work will be done on the sea side and also on Mèxic Street, but without affecting the road.
Also this Monday, the demolitions and dismantling of street furniture elements will be carried out, as well as the transplantation of trees located in this area of ??the work around the Gràcia station. These first works will involve the use of the green area, a section of the Via Augusta sidewalk and part of the square’s children’s play area. On Monday and Tuesday a new access ford to the construction site on Via Augusta will be carried out, in the middle of the Gal·la Placídia section. This intervention will involve cutting the bike lane, which will be diverted along the sidewalk using temporary access ramps.
At the intersection of Consell de Cent and Urgell, the works will occupy the bike lane on the Llobregat side of the latter street – cyclists will have to take a detour along other streets – as well as two general circulation lanes. They will be enabled and the bus will be allowed to pass through one of them. For the construction of the Hospital Clínic station, in Urgell, between Rosselló and Còrsega, starting tomorrow work will be carried out on two chamfers of the intersection.