AP-7 southbound closed again at Martorell for works linked to Gelida train accident

The AP-7 motorway, which runs through Catalonia along the Mediterranean coast from south to north, was closed again on Wednesday evening.

The closure affects the southbound carriageway at Martorell, located west–southwest of Barcelona, about 30 kilometres from the city.

For the past few days, traffic on this stretch of the motorway had already been reduced to one of its three lanes over a distance of three and a half kilometres.

The closure is linked to a train accident in Gelida, where a collapsed embankment at a railway underpass struck a passing train, causing the death of the driver and leaving 37 people injured.

Ramon Lamiel, head of the Catalan Traffic Service, said the decision to close the motorway again was not due to safety concerns but to logistical requirements related to the repair works.

According to Lamiel, the works are progressing as scheduled and are expected to be completed within 15 days, weather permitting, with reopening planned for the week of February 9.

The main alternative routes are the A-2 and the C-32 roads.

On Thursday morning, traffic queues reached more than three kilometres between Martorell and Castellbisbal, while delays extended for eight kilometres on the alternative A-2 route, as well as four kilometres on both the B-23 and the C-32.