Three accidents cause over 30 km of bumper-to-bumper traffic on AP-7 highway
Deadly crash near Castellet i la Gornal, south of Barcelona
Vehicles on the AP-7 highway have had to contend with over 30km's worth of bumper-to-bumper traffic on Saturday morning due to three accidents, one of which was fatal.
The three accidents took place in la Granada del Penedès, Maçanet de la Selva, and – by far the most serious – in Castellnet i la Gornal, a town south of Barcelona and not far from Sitges.
One person died and another is in serious condition following the Castellnet i la Gornal crash involving a van and a truck around 8:30 am. A total of 74 people have died in traffic accidents in Catalonia this year.
AP-7 restrictions
Traffic jams have become a common phenomenon on the coastal AP-7 highway, especially on weekends when urbanites leave the big city for calmer towns - even more so since most tolls were lifted in Catalonia less than a year ago.
Trucks will not be allowed on the AP-7 at certain times over the upcoming long Sant Joan weekend (June 24-26), and additional lanes will be opened, although talk of lowering the speed limit is yet to lead to concrete measures.
On Friday, the Spanish government announced it would build an additional lane between l'Hospitalet de l'Infant and Amposta, in southern Catalonia, while there also plans to do so near the town of El Papiol, not far from Barcelona.