Catalan Teachers Block Cadí Tunnel Road into Andorra for 2 Hours

Teachers' strike disrupts key Andorra access route at Cadí Tunnel

A protest by Catalan teachers from the Alt Pirineu region blocked the C-16 road near the Cadí Tunnel toll for nearly two hours on Friday afternoon, causing significant delays for vehicles entering Andorra.

Around 60 demonstrators formed a human chain at kilometre 130, halting traffic completely towards Riu de la Cerdanya and creating a 1.5-kilometre tailback, according to the Servei Català de Trànsit. Unlike initial plans for periodic openings every 15 minutes, no gaps were allowed at first. Traffic resumed normally by 20:30, earlier than the anticipated three-hour duration.

The action followed a midday demonstration in La Seu d'Urgell, where participants gathered for breakfast at Plaça del Camp de Codina around 11:30 or 12:45, then marched through the town centre to the town hall by about 13:30 or 14:00. Organisers, including USTEC-STEs and Aspepc, had announced a vehicle convoy departing La Seu at 16:30, passing through Martinet and Bellver de la Cerdanya to reach the site by 18:00.

The protests, part of a broader wave of teacher strikes across Catalonia following a large Barcelona demonstration on Tuesday and actions in central Catalonia and Girona, targeted stalled negotiations with the Catalan government. Unions rejected recent deals with minority groups like UGT and CCOO, describing them as unrepresentative.

Teachers demanded urgent salary increases to restore purchasing power, lower student-teacher ratios, more staff and resources for inclusive education. Marisol Salvadó of USTEC-STEs Alt Pirineu and Aran dismissed claims of a 30% pay rise as "unacceptable and intolerable" lies. Ismael Sànchez of CGT highlighted a year of strikes, while secondary teacher Xavier Mañé pointed to widespread precariousness harming students.

The timing coincided with peak weekend tourist and resident traffic into the Principat. Further strikes are possible on 27 May and 4-5 June, with another Lleida-specific action set for 4 June, though details remain undecided. Separate protests occurred in Val d'Aran, including a roadblock on the N-230.