Andorra Advances Greenway Upgrades in Canillo Under PSIVA Plan

Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Guillem Casal and Canillo's first consul Jordi Alcobé signed an agreement with the government on Friday to advance Andorra's Green Infrastructure Sector Plan (PSIVA). The pact enables upgrades to a 440-metre stretch of greenway running from the lower parking area at Meritxell Sanctuary to the path connecting with Prats village in Canillo parish.

Contractor CTP Lacoma won the €249,775.02 contract to rehabilitate the existing trail, with work set to start in coming weeks depending on weather and last about three months. Improvements will enhance safety and accessibility for walkers, families and cyclists, while restoring heritage features like traditional dry-stone paving and repairing adjacent walls. The project also includes new signage for the greenway network, upgraded drainage systems with pipes and catch basins to protect the path, and preservation of the surrounding natural and cultural landscape linking natural areas to sites such as Meritxell Sanctuary.

Casal said the PSIVA seeks to connect communities and attractions through greenways, adapting paths for easy use while respecting their settings. He emphasised maintaining cultural elements like dry-stone surfaces amid natural surroundings.

Alcobé described the route as highly emblematic for its timeless quality, underscoring the value of restoring its original stone surfacing to honour traditions of internal droving and transit paths hand-built by Andorrans' ancestors. He noted that, per the Manual Digest, locals historically maintained internal roads as a free public duty while leaving mountain passes rough to deter invaders.

This phase follows earlier work in the Valls del Nord across La Massana and Ordino parishes, with extensions this legislative term through Encamp and now Canillo. It forms part of PSIVA's second phase from Encamp to Canillo, continuing toward Incles and Envalira, and aligns with Andorra's National Landscape Strategy to safeguard rural and natural areas while promoting walkable spaces free of traffic. Second consul Marc Casal and Culture Minister Mònica Bonell attended the signing.