The Torre Baró neighborhood began this week the third phase of burying the overhead wiring on Avenida d'Escolapi Càncer, an action long demanded by the neighborhood to protect the network from incidents and copper thefts that affected public lighting.
The works are now focused on the section between the Castellfollit crossing and Sant Quirze Safaja street, with an estimated completion by mid-July. The neighborhood reaches this point after almost four months of work and after years of demands due to the problems caused by overhead wiring, with streets that were left in darkness due to constant thefts.
Changes in mobility for eleven weeks
The new phase involves mobility modifications in the environment. Bus stops that had been canceled in recent weeks have been recovered, but three are now being suppressed. The two bus lines affected are diverted via Sant Quirze Safaja and Castellfollit.
Furthermore, the Castellfollit crossing will now have a single direction of circulation, exiting towards Escolapi Càncer. The changes required by the evolution of the works will be signposted on site.
"It's 11 weeks of work, 11 weeks of changes in public transport and daily life, but we are happy that the undergrounding of the cable in Torre Baró is arriving" - Valeria Ortiz, neighborhood association of the district
A 14 million investment and doubts about the next phases
The City Council announced a total investment of 14 million euros to bury the aerial tangle of cables in Torre Baró. The action is not limited to public lighting, as conduits are also being prepared for Endesa and telephone companies to introduce the rest of the cabling.
For the moment, the defined project reaches Escolapi Càncer, Llerona and Torrelles. From the neighborhood, however, doubts persist about the deadlines and how the next phases will be financed.
"For the moment there is the project done for Escolapi Càncer, Llerona and Torrelles" - Valeria Ortiz, neighborhood association
"There is not enough mandate to spend the 14 million. What will happen next?" - Valeria Ortiz, neighborhood association
Neighborhood complaint about the sidewalks of the already finished sections
Another of the neighborhood's demands focuses on the state of the sidewalks in the areas where work has already been done. The neighborhood demands improvements in the completed sections and recalls the municipal commitment to also intervene in these spaces.
"In the press conference, Mayor Collboni promised us that the works would also improve the small sidewalks we have, but for now we don't see it" - Valeria Ortiz, neighborhood association
The council maintains that a monitoring commission with the neighborhood has been created and that, once the undergrounding of the aerial wiring is completed, asphalt and sidewalk reconstruction work will be carried out where possible. It also assures that some sections damaged by the works will be repaired.
Among the planned actions are the paving of the streets of Llerona and Escolapi Càncer, in addition to the comprehensive remodeling of Sant Feliu de Codines street. While the work progresses, Torre Baró faces eleven more weeks of changes with the expectation of leaving behind an overhead network that for years has conditioned the mobility and daily life of the neighborhood.