Agreements for a Partido Popular-Vox administration at the Council of Mallorca include three major road projects. One is to complete section one of the second ring road in Palma (Son Ferriol to Coll d'en Rabassa). The other two will involve extensions of the motorway from Sa Pobla to Alcudia and of the MA-19 highway from Campos to Santanyi.
Both the MA-13 and MA-19 to Alcudia and Santanyi, respectively, already exist, but the plan would mean road widening and additional lanes. As far as the ring road is concerned, funding would come from the Council's own resources, while the two other projects would require state investment. They therefore may well depend on the outcome of the general election later this month. If there is a change of government in favour of the PP, it is felt that securing investment will be that much easier.
The PP have previously argued the need for an improved road connection to Santanyi, the town halls in Campos and Santanyi having long been firm Partido Popular territory. The next president of the Council of Mallorca will be a former mayor of Santanyi, Llorenç Galmés. Marga Prohens, the next president of the Balearic government, is from Campos.
The plan for the MA-19 would almost certainly revive the controversy that surrounded the redevelopment of the Llucmajor to Campos road. That controversy was a key reason why the Council of Mallorca, with Ivan Sevillano of Podemos as councillor for roads, stopped major projects on the island.
Justification for the Llucmajor-Campos road wasn't solely to do with improved connection. There was also a safety aspect; the former road had a poor accident record. A similar case can be made for the MA-13 to Alcudia. Where this road is concerned, there is potentially a consideration to be taken into account, and that is the outgoing government's plan to extend the railway from Sa Pobla to Alcudia. It remains to be seen what the new administrations intend for rail transport, but if this extension is still on the cards, a route - perhaps the most obvious route - would involve track running alongside the road.
There has been previous opposition to this rail route from owners in Alcudia's Son Fe area. They would be likely to oppose a motorway extension as well, to say nothing of the opposition from environmentalist groups, which would also apply to the Campos-Santanyi road development.
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Marvin Le MartianThey can extend the railway AND also construct a motorway all the way to Alcudia. One way does not preclude the other.
Except that you can’t transport heavy goods and newly arrived tourists by train. The stretch that goes from the turn off to Sa Pobla/Pollensa is a death trap and needs fixing as soon as possible.
If they put the railway extension from SaPobla to Alcudia then there would be far less need for the motorway. This project faltered previously due to lack of agreement. I cannot see it being any different this time either.