Barcelona and Costa Brava news. March 26
Barcelona and Costa Brava news selection from the last seven days and upcoming items including another Barcelona airport scare, motorway plans and the TBEX congress. Published on Fridays.
Barcelona and Costa Brava news
Lloret de Mar news
Lloret de Mar to host world travel congress
April 30 to May 3 will see some the world’s most influential travel bloggers descend upon Lloret de Mar for the 2015 World Congress of European travel bloggers TBEX Europe.
The town was chosen last year during the Athens edition of the TBEX and is expected to attract approximately 800 writers looking both to learn and to impart their own experience.
The conference, at the Evenia Olympic Resort, includes a host of activities and excursions and was located in Lloret de Mar due to its proximity to Barcelona.
C-32 gets the go ahead
September 2015 will see work begin on the C-32 to Lloret de Mar.
The new stretch, which is estimated to take two years to complete, will reach 7.6 kilometres and has a budget of €71 million. The work has been awarded to Abertis, according to an agreement signed between the Department of Territory and Sotenibilitat of the Generalitat. The proposed extension of the C-32 runs between the current end of the motorway (Tordera / Blanes), which now joins the GI-600 road and the C-63 and will have a connection to the GI-682 (Lloret road).
The new stretch of road should decongest the GI-600 and GI-682, two motorways with an average of 20,000 vehicles per day, which reaches horrific levels during the summer and on holiday weekends. It will reduce travel time between Blanes and Lloret. Currently, travelling from the C-32 to the entrance of Lloret de Mar takes between 11 and 25 minutes depending on traffic intensity. With the new infrastructure, this journey will take just five minutes. In addition, it will attract approximately 9,600 vehicles a day.
This new branch of the C-32 will mainly consist of three lanes, two upstream and one downstream, with the traffic directions separated by a barrier. In some sections there will be two lanes to facilitate overtaking slow vehicles. This configuration of 2 + 1 lanes barrier is the first of its type in Spain. It is a formula that is used in countries such as Sweden, France and Ireland to avoid frontal collisions. One of the main difficulties of the work is negotiating some tough terrain. For this five viaducts and two tunnels will be built.
Barcelona news
Another scare for Barcelona airport
A Vueling flight had to make an emergency landing back at Barcelona’s El Prat airport just minutes before its scheduled take-off.
The 6am plane, destined for Munich, was brought back after the captain noticed a smell of smoke during routine maintenance checks as it was taxiing down the runway.
The 137 passengers were offered an alternative flight at 8.30am that some of them declined.
The incident happened just two days after a Germanwings Airbus A320 that took off from Barcelona plunged into a gully in the French Alps, killing all the passengers on board.
“It is something that happens sometimes and it was perfectly controlled,” explained Vueling.
Tossa de Mar news
Works in Tossa de Mar youth centre and street improvements
Work is being carried out at Tossa de Mar’s Casal de Joves at a cost of approximately €7,000
Over the coming months the furniture will be replaced, the classrooms painted and the heating system improved. The parque floor is to be laid, mirrors installed and computers added.
The Casal de Joves in Tossa de Mar is made up of several rooms (computers, games, courses and workshops, etc.) and a multi-purpose outdoor.
€75,000 has been spent to improve several streets in Tossa de Mar, specifcally the paving. Affected streets include Lope Mateo, Johan Sebastian Bach, Av. Puerto Rico, Dr. Fleming, Torrent Viver, Joan Barber i Coris, Mirador del Codolar and Torrent d’en Bou.
What’s happening in Barcelona and on the Costa Brava? Click HERE to browse, or to add your own event
Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.
