In Val d'Aran, the Conselh Generau d'Aran has renewed its call for the Spanish government to present a project to improve safety on the N-230, the road that crosses the valley. The council says the route carries heavy lorry traffic and has seen many accidents, making it one of Spain's most dangerous roads, according to the institution.
The council is also asking for updates on the studies linked to possible solutions, together with stricter enforcement of heavy vehicle restrictions. It says the current measures are only effective in winter, even though a resolution published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 16 March set out a wider calendar of limits for heavy traffic.
That calendar includes Fridays and Sundays from January to March, peak tourist days over Easter, Sundays in July and August, and the Pilar long weekend from 9 to 12 October. The most significant restrictions are due in December, with bans every Sunday and Friday between 4 and 18 December, on Tuesday 8 December, and on Thursdays 24 and 31 December. The calendar also includes five to seven-hour windows when lorries are allowed to use the N-230.
Maria Vergés, the Síndica d'Aran, has written to the Ministries of Interior and Transport about the road's condition in Val d'Aran and the Catalan and Aragonese Ribagorça regions. She said there has been no visible progress on the infrastructure, and the council described the situation as unsustainable because thousands of people use the road every day.
The Aranese government says the N-230 cannot wait for further delays and wants coordinated action from all the administrations involved. It also expects to be kept informed about the studies and projects already under way. More Catalonia news
Years ago, the central government dropped plans to extend the A-14 motorway to Aran. In 2022, it proposed an intermediate option for the N-230, including a third lane, known as a 2+1 system, from the Alfarràs bypass to Sopeira, a stretch of 80 kilometres.
That same 2+1 model was also planned for the six kilometres between the northern exit of the Vielha tunnel and the Aranese capital, with a bypass and improvements to junctions and crossings up to Aubert. The model allows speeds of 100 kilometres per hour and is intended to reduce head-on collisions. It was also considered for the 43.6-kilometre stretch between Alfarràs and Benavarri, and the 39-kilometre section from Benavarri to Sopeira.
Applying the same solution to the 41 kilometres between Sopeira and the southern mouth of the Vielha tunnel is more complex because of the terrain. The Conselh Generau d'Aran says it wants swift progress on the studies and projects, and a clear update on what comes next. Catalonia news