Provisional La Massana bypass for light vehicles due end‑2026

The government now expects a provisional section of the La Massana bypass to be opened to light vehicles at the end of 2026 — potentially in time for the Puríssima holiday — Minister of Territory and Urban Planning Raül Ferré said during a site visit. The temporary 1.35 km link will allow private cars and delivery vans to travel from the Serra de l’Honor roundabout to the firefighters’ bridge toward Ordino, diverting through traffic away from La Massana centre. Heavy goods vehicles and buses will still be banned from the provisional route because the exit toward Ordino requires a manoeuvre unsuitable for larger vehicles.

The provisional route comprises trams 2, 3 and 5.3. Tram 2 is a 610‑metre stretch that connects with the CG‑3 bend at Serra de l’Honor; tram 3 runs for about 500 metres, crosses the Valira del Nord and includes ramps providing access into La Massana centre; and tram 5.3 is a 240‑metre link between the Palanques roundabout and the firefighters’ bridge. Ferré said the government has already awarded or will shortly award the remaining contracts for sectors 5.1 and 5.2 — the sections that give access to the Giberga bridge — and that work on tram 4, which will connect toward Arinsal and the Telecabina car park, is scheduled to begin in January. Construction began in mid‑February 2024 and full completion of the bypass is still expected in 2027 once the outstanding sections and the Giberga bridge are finished.

Officials estimate the partial opening will remove around 80% of through traffic from La Massana’s core, significantly easing peak congestion and reducing the spill‑over traffic that currently uses roads in Anyós and Aldosa. Comú de la Massana cònsol major Eva Sansa said the reduction in traffic will free space to start town‑centre remodelling and calming projects, parts of which are already included in the 2026 budget, and will improve access for tourists.

The project’s overall investment is budgeted at about €32 million. The government has provided roughly €26 million and the Comú de la Massana has allocated €5.1 million; Ferré noted the Comú’s contribution rose from an initial plan of €4.7 million because material costs have increased. Rising material prices have pushed projected costs roughly 5–10% above initial estimates — about €1.6–3.2 million — the minister said, but he added this has not altered the planned timetable.

Separately, Ferré confirmed the Sant Julià de Lòria diversion remains on schedule for completion in 2027, although the tunnel boring machine will arrive in late January rather than December. The government is preparing the tunnel portal so excavation can begin immediately when the machine arrives, and it is considering day‑and‑night shifts to speed up works; any overnight work will depend on technical assessments of noise impacts on nearby residents.