Andorra Council Awards €78k Contract to Fix Leaks from Plaça Vinyes Planters

Andorra la Vella's local council has directly awarded a €78,843 contract to Sideco to waterproof the planters in Plaça Vinyes, addressing water leaks into the underground Vinyes car park below. The work, published in Wednesday's Butlletí Oficial del Principat d’Andorra, began immediately and carries a four-week execution period, with completion expected in June.

Leaks emerged after recent heavy rain, with recent technical studies identifying small, localised issues around the planters facing Prat de la Creu. One recent flooding incident stemmed from a blocked drain caused by a displaced filter element that hindered water drainage. Council leader Sergi González stated the waterproofing was not part of the original project, as no leaks were observed at the time and technicians deemed it unnecessary. He emphasised that technical directors and an external control firm had guided the works, and the council is now covering the unplanned costs while deploying all available resources to resolve the remaining four minor leaks that appear during rain.

González acknowledged frustration from Vinyes Patrimonial, the car park's owner and operator, with whom he has held multiple discussions offering apologies and full cooperation. He confirmed no legal action has been initiated by the council, though the company has filed a lawsuit claiming material damages after the council rejected its prior administrative claim.

Opposition councillor David Astrié criticised the council, claiming his group had flagged initial issues late last year and urged further checks before finalising the square. He noted prior cost overruns of €600,000 to €700,000 beyond the initial bid, plus parallel awards that exhausted the contract's legal extension limit. Astrié highlighted significant leaks during recent weeks of rain—contrasting the council leader's earlier dismissal of them as "four drops every 40 minutes"—and pointed to additional drips at the Congress Centre under Plaça del Poble.

González also updated on the Espai Capital project, saying the preliminary design is nearing completion for mid-June presentation, alongside work on a potential fairground space concession and renewed talks with the government and Andorra Turisme to secure funding via a forthcoming agreement.