Palma told to think again about new sea front project

“More promenade and less motorway” is what Palma's sea front needs, according to engineering expert Carlos Garau, who presented the plan to redesign Palma's sea front to the College of Engineers and the Balearic Port Authority in Palma yesterday. Garau maintains that the initial plan needs to be “seriously reconsidered” so that the amount of motorway along the sea front and the level of traffic is reduced. The engineer said that he supports the Port Authority's idea for a heavy goods vehicle tunnel linking the Old Port to the motorway, but he stressed that in order for the ambitious project to be a success “we've got to spend whatever it costs”. The Port Authority's plan is to move the commercial docks to where the passenger port is and transfer the ferry terminal to the commercial dock area in order to reduce heavy goods traffic. This will also bring cruise and ferry passengers closer to the city centre. Garau said this will take heavy traffic out of the city centre and force it to use the ring road. He also added that the general public, the population of Palma, must be given a large say in the final project as the redesigning of the sea front will change the face of Palma for ever. Garau believes the project however goes beyond sprucing up the sea front.