A total of 172,000 vehicles have returned to the metropolitan area of Barcelona between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. during the Easter return operation, 57% of the 300,000 journeys that the Servei Català de Trànsit expects until midnight. The most significant traffic jams are concentrated on the AP-7 between Vila Franca del Penedès and Martorell in the direction of Barcelona, where queues exceed 17 kilometers.
The afternoon also presents a contradiction marked by the volume of traffic and accidents. The return is concentrated in just 12 hours and exceeds the figures for Easter Monday 2025, when 270,000 vehicles returned, while the weekend's toll amounts to five deaths in three days, three of them motorcyclists.
The AP-7 accumulates more than 17 kilometers of queues towards Barcelona
Trànsit places another of the most complicated points on the AP-7 North, at the height of La Roca del Vallès, also in the direction of Barcelona. On the C-32, traffic is slow between Sant Boi de Llobregat and Gavà, with six kilometers of traffic jams.
During the afternoon, the collapse may shift to other entrances to the Catalan capital. The forecast includes disruptions on the C-31, C-32, C-58, and B-23, as well as the Trinitat junction, the Ronda de Dalt, and the Ronda del Litoral, with intermittent stops until after 10 p.m.
Between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Trànsit is opening more than 150 kilometers of additional lanes in the opposite direction to the usual on the AP-7, C-32 North, and B-23 to absorb part of the return towards Barcelona.
Trànsit deploys 1,260 Mossos and bans trucks on the AP-7
The control operation includes 1,260 agents from the Mossos d'Esquadra and more than a thousand speed, alcohol, and drug checks. Added to this surveillance is the prohibition for trucks over 7.5 tons to circulate on the AP-7 during peak afternoon hours.
Ramon Lamiel, director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, linked the operation to the weekend's accident toll and urged drivers to be cautious.
"It is very sad, tragic, and dramatic" - Ramon Lamiel, director of the Servei Català de Trànsit
Trànsit urges drivers to maintain a safe distance and check their vehicle's condition before starting their return journey. The goal is to avoid accidents and breakdowns that could worsen congestion on the main routes into Barcelona.
The restriction on heavy vehicles affects trucks over 7.5 tons on the AP-7 during peak afternoon hours.