4km Traffic Jam Hits CG-1 Southbound to Spain Amid Easter Exodus in Andorra

Traffic jams on the CG-1 southbound toward Spain have reached four kilometres, extending from the Sant Julià exit to the Runer river border crossing, the Mobility service reports. The queues, fuelled by Easter holiday outflows, began building past midday on Thursday and intensified around 5pm, with backups now reaching the southern entrance of Sant Julià.

This congestion aligns with the department's special Easter traffic operation, activated since Wednesday and running through Monday. Mobility anticipates around 66,000 vehicles entering Andorra over the period, with roughly 47,700 via the Spanish border and the rest from France—figures in line with pre-winter estimates and recent years, excluding the post-Covid dip.

Daniel Boneta, head of the Mobility area, noted that ski resorts are operating at full capacity with higher-than-usual snow levels, boosting hotel bookings and drawing crowds to higher parishes. Peak influxes of over 12,000 vehicles daily are expected Thursday and Friday, with internal traffic pressures from ski piste openings and closings spilling into the central valley.

Critical hours for the Spanish border include arrivals from 9:30am to 2:30pm and 4pm to 10pm, and departures from 8am to 10pm. For the French border, entries peak 8am to 1pm and exits 3pm to 7pm. Motorists should stagger trips, avoiding these windows—especially afternoon exits starting around 4pm—and check Mobility updates.

To ease flows, double lanes will operate at the border, Avinguda Francesc Cairat, and afternoons from La Comella to Margineda, with potential measures in Canillo, La Massana, and the central valley. Coordination involves all seven communes, Andorran police, and neighbouring security forces.

Recent turbo-roundabout conversions at Prada Casadet and Km0 have improved passage times by 10-15%, prompting studies for similar setups at La Margineda, El Gall, Encamp Sud, and possibly La Bartra. No disruptions are foreseen on the French side.