Barcelona's accelerated La Rambla redevelopment to be completed by January 2027
Mayor Jaume Collboni outlines how "far-reaching and historic" work will be done twice as quickly as previously planned
Barcelona's most famous street is changing.
Work is already underway to redevelop La Rambla, with the "far-reaching and historic" work to be completed by January 2027, twice as quickly as previously planned, mayor Jaume Collboni explained at a press conference on Monday morning.
Rather than working from section to section from the Columbus Monument towards Plaça Catalunya, work will instead take place along the length of the whole avenue beginning June 2024.
One side of La Rambla – the side closer to the river Besòs – will be redeveloped first, over the span of 10 months. That will be followed by 10 months' work on the other side – closer to the river Llobregat and where the Liceu Opera House, Boqueria market and Virreina Palace are located.
While work is underway on the two sides, traffic will be one-way, up La Rambla towards Plaça Catalunya.
Finally, the central trunk will be redeveloped over the course of 12 months.
Access to homes, shops and car parks will remain open throughout the renovation.
€55.6m investment
The change of strategy for the renovation of the iconic thoroughfare will not involve changes to the budget or content of the project, according to Barcelona City Council.
Around €48m will be invested over the course of this term while the overall cost will be €55.6m, an increase on the original amount due to the rising cost of some materials.
While work is ongoing, a new Rambla Space (Espai Rambla) will be launched at Virreina Palace to inform visitors of the street's transformation, including visualizations of the future of La Rambla.
A promenade for the people of Barcelona
In a press conference at Virreina Palace, Collboni acknowledged that the wait to improve La Rambla has gone on for "a long time" and thanked residents and organizations such as Amics de la Rambla for their "persistence" over the years.
"We couldn't afford six years of work on the city's most iconic promenade," the mayor said, explaining that he is taking on the "challenge" of cutting the timetable in half, as he had promised.
According to Collboni, the redevelopment of La Rambla is the "most ambitious" project of this term.
A "21st century Rambla" will once again be "a promenade for the people of Barcelona," he said, and a "cultural axis" in the city's Old Town, Ciutat Vella.
"The ultimate goal is to recover the soul of La Rambla," Collboni concluded.