Local Leaders Urge Progress on Long-Delayed Road Project

The Comarcal Council of Garrotxa (CCG) has acknowledged it is "very concerned" that the Olot and Les Preses bypass could be delayed by legal action if environmental group Salvem les Valls files a claim with the Administrative Court. The council president, Albert Danés, stressed that connecting the A-26 motorway at Olot with the Bracons tunnels near Les Preses is a widely supported necessity across the region. Three municipalities – Les Preses, Olot, and La Vall d’en Bas – have each approved their preferred route alignments for the new road. However, La Vall d’en Bas remains the most reluctant, with its council and Salvem les Valls threatening legal action over environmental risks. The group, supported by Unió de Pagesos and Revolta Pagesa, objects to the planned underground sections, citing potential damage to the area’s river aquifer.

The Generalitat de Catalunya approved the construction project in March 2026 with an estimated investment of €447 million, according to a notice from the Diputació de Girona. Works are expected to begin in spring 2027 and last approximately five years, with completion projected for 2031. The 11-kilometre road will include 40% underground sections, including a 900-metre tunnel beneath the Verntallat farmland area in La Vall d’en Bas. The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has stated that the project is compatible with preserving the aquifer, a conclusion backed by an independent report from a scientist at the Centre for Scientific Research (CSIC), as reported by La Vanguardia. Despite this, Salvem les Valls has warned it may seek a precautionary suspension of the works through an administrative challenge.

It’s common sense that these two road corridors must be connected. This is what most people in the region see.

, Albert Danés, President, Comarcal Council of Garrotxa

Danés, who is also mayor of Les Preses, reiterated that the project has majority local support and is essential after 30 years of delays. He noted that each municipality chose its own route, and La Vall d’en Bas specifically opted for the underground solution. The Generalitat’s environmental assessment, published via its official repository, confirms that measures are in place to minimise ecological impact, including compensation for land use in protected areas. Residents in Olot and Les Preses have long demanded relief from heavy traffic, particularly trucks, which currently pass through the town centres and along Avinguda Sant Jordi in Olot. The bypass is expected to reduce traffic in Olot by 30–45% and in Les Preses by 60–90%, according to Generalitat estimates. The project is now awaiting final tendering, with the Generalitat aiming to launch the bidding process in 2026. If legal challenges proceed, the council fears further delays to a project already decades in the making.

Primary sources: govern.cat, mediambient.repositori.gencat.cat. Reported by diaridegirona.cat, lavanguardia.com, elpuntavui.cat, Diputació de Girona, elconfidencial.com, vilaweb.cat, elnacional.cat, VilaWeb, Berta Artigas Fontàs (ACN), Diari de Girona.