Spain: damaged bridge on the A7 – restrictions for HGV traffic in Valencia

Given traffic disruptions caused by the flooding, the General Directorate of Traffic has issued a resolution implementing extraordinary traffic management measures to minimise possible traffic problems that are likely to occur in the Valencia metropolitan area.

Damage sustained by the structure of the viaduct on the A-7 motorway at kilometre 336.8 (Quart de Poblet), which affects both lanes of the Valencia metropolitan bypass, will have an effect on long-distance traffic along the Mediterranean transport corridor.
The A-7 motorway is used by more than 77,000 vehicles per day, 25% of which are heavy goods vehicles. In addition, the port of Valencia, one of the most important ports in the country, is visited by 5,000 trucks per day.

Because the storms associated with the cut-off low (DANA), which occurred on the night of 29-30 October, have caused serious damage in Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and the Valencian Community, the General Directorate of Road and Rail Transport has announced temporary exceptions to driving and rest times for freight transport ➡ CLICK

According to the resolution, no HGVs (laden or not) with a GVW of over 7.5 tonnes are allowed to use Valencian roads if their point of departure or destination is NOT located in the province of Valencia.

A number of alternative routes have been designated by DGT

▶️1. North-south direction:
• The Communities of Aragon and Catalonia via AP-2/A-2 towards Madrid. In the town of Sagunto, HGVs are not allowed to use AP-7; a diversion is available along the A-23 (Zaragoza).
• the Communities of Madrid A-3 and Castilla-La Mancha via the A-31 / A-30 Albacete-Alicante-Murcia and Almería.

▶️2. South-North direction
• The Communities of Andalusia and the Region of Murcia via the AP-7/A-7, A-31 Albacete and A-3 Madrid; the driving ban on the AP-7 applies in the town of Picassent with a diversion via the A-7.
• The Communities of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragon and Catalonia via the A-2 / AP-2

▶️3. HGVs with a GVW of over 7.5t departing from the city or the metropolitan area of Valencia or heading to destinations located within their boundaries, can travel only between 10pm and 7am from Monday to Friday, except for public holidays. Transports of essential goods are excluded from this ban.

▶️ As a result, HGVs will NOT be allowed to drive on the following roads during the day.
• A-3 towards Valencia: from km 339 in Riba-Roja to km 352 in Valencia,
• V-30 in both directions: from km 0 in Puerto Valencia to km 16 in Paterna-Manises;
• V-31 in both directions: from km 0 in Silla to km 13 in Valencia;
• A-7 towards Barcelona: from km 355 in Picassent to km 337 in Riba-Roja.

❗These restrictions come into effect at midnight on 4 November and will apply until a temporary three-lane diversionis made available on the A-7 motorway in connection with the A-3 motorway (the Valencia ring road).

The status of all roads affected by the flooding can be checked in real time on the DGT website.
According to the State Meteorological Agency, storms caused by the DANA have not yet ended and rains are still likely in the coming days, which could affect road traffic.