AP-7 continues the accumulation of accidents in Tarragona: in the past ten days, three truck accidents have led to the death and injury of one person, long queues as high as Terres de l’Ebre and economic losses for transporters, who have been trapped for hours without being able to do their work or deliver the goods on time. Business owners are “deeply dissatisfied” and regret the accumulated hours of blockade without any alternative. The last three accidents alone caused a total of 87 hours of traffic problems in both directions.
Reducing speed on the southern part of the motorway is one of the main measures proposed by the Servicei Català de Trànsit (SCT) to transport associations at an emergency meeting, an area that will coincide with the current one where there is already a ban on trucks overtaking 30 kilometers of the road leading to Valencia. Specifically, it is proposed to reduce the speed to 100 kilometers per hour for passenger cars and 80 kilometers per hour for heavy vehicles to the Ministry of Transport, which must approve it as the owner of the road. It is also being evaluated whether this measure, which will be temporary for now, will affect buses.
All this with the aim of reducing the increasing accident rate, since the number of deaths caused by truck travel tripled on Catalan roads last year: in the period from January 1 to October 31, nine people lost their lives.
12,000 trucks are handled daily at this point. The director of the Tarragona Transport Companies Association, Josep Luis Aimat, sees the proposed changes as “corrections”: “What we really need is for the N-340 to become a highway as it exists in the rest of the province and to be able to have an alternative to move when accidents occur on the AP-7”, the circulation of which is prohibited on the national highway in certain parts of the province. They also demand that the highway be expanded at this stage with a third lane. The biggest problem is the losses that accumulate day after day in these episodes: “It is impossible to estimate them, they are very high, and they cost us a lot of extra money every time it takes us an extra day to do our work and we do not meet the delivery dates.”
The Association of Comarcas de Libre (AECE) considered the situation “unacceptable”, because it causes “serious impacts on businessmen, workers and transporters who depend on this route to carry out their activities.” They also believe that this is a relative complaint and that they are in poor conditions: “We need security and good connectivity to compete on equal terms with other areas of the country. We cannot continue to bear the economic and logistical costs of a situation that puts our future at risk.” They confirm that the root of the problem is the lack of historical maintenance in the infrastructure, “which is causing great damage.” The Employers’ Association requested a meeting with the Spanish government’s representative in Catalonia, Carles Prieto. For his part, Gantz requested that SCT Director Ramon Lamel appear before Parliament.
Three accidents in a row
The collision of three trucks early Tuesday morning meant that normal life on the road did not return to normal until 30 hours later: It happened when a truck driver crossed the median, invaded the opposite direction and collided with another heavy vehicle that was heading north. A third hit the wreckage and rolled off the highway. One driver died – and was trapped under the load – and another was seriously injured.
After this incident, Lammell realized there was a growing problem: “We have a very noticeable increase and it worries us. In the section from Calafat to Camarles there is a straight line with a very impressive steep slope.” The variable speed solution proposed to the consortia has already been developed.
Last weekend, another accident occurred on the AP-7 road between Lampula and Lamitla di Mar with a tanker truck that overturned on Saturday, and the next day queues of up to 10 kilometers accumulated after the road was blocked to remove the truck. A total of 33 hours of closure in the north direction, although some lanes were opened earlier. Added to the list is the third accident at the beginning of last week, when it was cut off in Laldia due to a truck fire, causing damage for 24 hours, until life returned to normal, with the opening of some southbound lanes.
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