In Figueres, the business organisation Cercle Euram has called for the current wave of infrastructure work in Alt Empordà to lead to real reindustrialisation, not just new roads and rail lines. The group says the area is at a historic moment and should use it to strengthen its economic base.
Cercle Euram set out its position during a working session in Figueres, where members reviewed the main projects expected to shape the city and its surroundings. The meeting included a talk by economist Joan Armangué, former mayor of Figueres and president of the Infrastructure Commission, under the title, New Figueres station and the transformation of the city.
Manel Toro, president of Cercle Euram, said the situation has changed sharply from previous years, with projects now awarded and budgets in place. The organisation said this marks a decisive phase for the future of the Figueres urban area.
Among the projects highlighted was the new N-II bypass. Cercle Euram said the central section, more than 8 kilometres long, has been approved and awarded for more than €100 million. Works are due to start in October and are scheduled to last four years. The group described it as the most important road project in the city in the last 50 years.
The organisation also pointed to the unified station and railway bypass, with ADIF formalising the contract to remodel the Figueres-Vilafant station. The plan is meant to bring together high-speed and conventional rail services, remove the track that currently crosses the centre of Figueres, and stop dangerous goods from passing through the urban core.
Cercle Euram said the new Urban Master Plan, coordinated between the Generalitat and ADIF, should free up about 90,000 square metres in the city centre once the current tracks are removed. It said this would support changes in the Ponent and Llevant areas, the future Avinyonet street, and new university facilities. The group also said the Mediterranean Corridor should be completed by 2027 from Algeciras to the French border, and that the Vilamalla intermodal terminal should support advanced logistics and industry with added value.
The organisation said infrastructure should be treated as a tool, not an end in itself, and argued that Alt Empordà needs a clear economic strategy alongside the public works. It also said the future of the area should be industry, with Figueres acting as the main economic driver. Cercle Euram added that local businesses should play an active role in this new phase, and said it remains committed to the region’s social and governance network, including the recent appointment of Dani Sala as its representative to the Fundació Salut Empordà.
