Escaldes-Engordany Approves €4.4M Expansion for Caldea Car Park and Street Overhaul

The Escaldes-Engordany parish council has activated procedures to begin a major renovation of the Caldea car park and improvements to Josep Viladomat street, with a revised budget of €4.4 million allocated for 2026 and 2027.

Consol Menor Quim Dolsa stressed the pressing need for the work, pointing to the facility's numerous shortcomings. He noted that Semtee's substantial investment in updating the Caldea building made it essential for the parish to address the car park in parallel. Initial multiannual provisions set aside €1 million for 2026 and €800,000 for 2027, but recent assessments identified water leaks originating from the street above, alongside surging construction costs and expanded scope. The budget has now risen to €1.3 million this year and €3.1 million next, for a total increase from the original €1.8 million.

The project aims to eliminate interior water infiltration, enlarge parking spaces to accommodate modern vehicles, and add a new exit to Plaça dels Dos Valires. Dolsa indicated a potential push to increase the total number of spaces if feasible. On Josep Viladomat, crews will renew waterproofing, replace sewer and stormwater pipes, and broaden pavements to better serve areas with heavy foot traffic, including near the Salita residence frequented by elderly residents.

Dolsa cautioned that further budget adjustments might be required depending on subsurface discoveries and tender bids, with the process slated to launch in September. He outlined plans to reassign subscribers to other parish lots, such as Falgueró, during the works.

Cònsol Major Rosa Gili emphasized the initiative's importance in tackling parking constraints and preserving a vital community resource alongside Caldea's upgrades. From the Democrats minority, Gemma Bofarull urged greater budgetary discipline and more realistic market-price studies to prevent such significant overruns.

The council session also approved separate extraordinary credits, including €435,000 to install updated fire suppression systems in communal buildings after determining existing setups were obsolete. This followed a heated exchange between advisor Maria Carriço and mixed-group councillor David Pérez over the timing of deficiency reports. Another €55,000 credit will fund awnings for petanque courts behind Prat Gran pavilion, with Democrats suggesting similar shading solutions—such as awnings or trees—for other public spaces. The parish endorsed the institutional consultation and coordination law proposal, in line with other communes.