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Diari de Catalunya

Easter 2026 Exodus: Smooth Traffic Flow with Additional Lanes on AP-7

The second phase of the Easter 2026 exodus operation registers a smooth flow of vehicles, despite some isolated incidents.

Generic image of emergency lights reflecting on wet asphalt on a road with night traffic.
IA

Generic image of emergency lights reflecting on wet asphalt on a road with night traffic.

The Easter 2026 exodus operation from the Barcelona metropolitan area is progressing with generally fluid traffic, despite forecasts of 560,000 vehicles and some incidents on the AP-7.

The Catalan Traffic Service has activated the second phase of the Easter exodus operation, with an estimated 560,000 vehicles expected to leave the Barcelona metropolitan area between Thursday morning and Friday afternoon. By 5:00 PM on Thursday, 233,000 vehicles had already departed, representing 42% of the total forecast.
Despite the overall smooth flow, some traffic jams have been reported. At midday, the AP-7 experienced up to eleven kilometers of queues between la Roca del Vallès and Santa Perpètua de Mogoda northbound. A broken-down vehicle also caused delays on the same road, between Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Santa Margarida i els Monjos southbound. Additionally, an accident on the AP-7 between Martorell and Gelida led to seven kilometers of congestion southbound.
To ease traffic, two additional lanes have been opened on the AP-7: one spanning 53 kilometers between Montornès del Vallès and Sils (northbound) and another 43 kilometers long between Martorell and Banyeres del Penedès (southbound). The maximum speed limit in these sections is 100 km/h, except for trucks, which are limited to 80 km/h and are prohibited from overtaking.
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"Problems are anticipated due to capacity on the AP-7 in the Ebro area and also in Tarragonès and Garraf due to the influx of vehicles returning from beach areas."

Ramon Lamiel · Traffic Director
Looking ahead to the return operation, scheduled between Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Traffic Director Ramon Lamiel has warned of potential congestion on the AP-7 in the Ebro, Tarragonès, and Garraf areas, as well as northbound from Sant Celoni to Montornès. Problems are also expected on the toll-free C-32, between Llavaneres and Montgat, due to high traffic volume in the Maresme region.
During these holiday days, the Mossos d'Esquadra will conduct over a thousand controls using radar-equipped helicopters and a light aircraft to combat speeding and distractions. Furthermore, a new system for monitoring navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze has been implemented to manage traffic on local roads and prevent saturation in urban centers. The Generalitat and the Mossos urge drivers to exercise caution to avoid fatalities, recalling that three people died in traffic accidents during Easter 2025.

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