Collisions on N-145 and holiday surge create 9–10 km queues into Andorra

Two separate collisions on the N-145 on Sunday morning caused severe northbound delays into Andorra, with queues of roughly 9–10 km from la Seu d’Urgell to the Spanish–Andorran border, Catalan traffic authorities and Andorran mobility services reported. Emergency teams and traffic crews attended both incidents while vehicles crawled along the route.

The N-145 congestion formed part of widespread pressure on Andorra’s road network during the Puríssima long weekend. Mobilitat reported heavy traffic on the CG-1 approaching Sant Julià de Lòria (northbound); on the CG-2 at the Encamp bypass and at the entrance to Canillo in both directions, with uphill queues stretching from the Meritxell area; and on the CG-3 at the accesses to La Massana (northbound). Inside Andorra, the Meritxell–Carlemany commercial axis in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany experienced large visitor numbers, with long queues outside shops and busy restaurants throughout the day.

Authorities also recorded intermittent hold-ups on approach roads from Catalonia. Sections of the C-14 and C-16 were heavily congested at times, and Mobilitat warned that queues on Catalan approaches occasionally extended onto urban links, including the Margineda roundabout. During the return operation, delays reached areas near the Tàpia tunnel in Sant Julià de Lòria; Mobilitat reported that, at peak moments, congestion on the C-16 elsewhere had reached up to 21 km.

Mobilitat’s provisional tally for the long weekend (Friday 5 to Monday 8 December) recorded 55,800 vehicle entries to the Principality — about 2,200 fewer than the 58,000 forecast in the initial traffic plan. Of those entries, roughly 38,000 arrived via the Spanish border at Riu Runer and 17,800 via the French frontier at Baladrà. The busiest days were Friday and Saturday, with about 15,100 and 16,800 vehicles entering respectively. Mobility officials said the network generally absorbed the extra traffic but warned that localised, severe delays persisted and that conditions could worsen during return peaks.

The exit operation was particularly complicated at times, with queues for the Riu Runer border stretching back toward the Pobladó and, later in the afternoon, as far as the Tàpia tunnel. Mobilitat urged drivers to avoid peak hours where possible, check live traffic updates before travelling, allow extra time at borders and busy stretches, and exercise caution in affected areas. Mobility services continued to monitor conditions and issue updates as the holiday operation progressed.

Authorities also noted that avalanche-control operations and roadworks on surrounding cross-border routes — including temporary closures on some stretches of the N-20 and N-320 in France for control work — could further affect access and lead drivers to consider alternative routes.