Traffic congestion on the N-260 passing through Ribamala has become unsustainable, with queues reaching 3 kilometres on weekends and holidays, severely affecting visitors, residents, and workers in the Ripollès region. The slow progress of the works and the perceived lack of personnel have generated a sense of abandonment and disappointment among users.
Those affected criticize that on many days no activity has been observed at the worksite and that traffic flow is poorly facilitated. "I feel there is no awareness of how serious this impact is for the region," laments one of the affected drivers, pointing to the lack of effort to solve the problem on this "main artery."
The Town Council of Sant Joan de les Abadesses has repeatedly contacted the Ministry to report the situation, receiving a response of insufficient resources. Consequently, the Servei Català de Trànsit (Catalan Traffic Service) will take over the regulation of alternative passage on weekends, deploying personnel to replace the traffic lights and improve flow. The mayor of Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Ramon Roqué, is confident that user complaints "will bear fruit."
For its part, the Consell Comarcal del Ripollès (Ripollès Regional Council) has sent a letter to the Ministry requesting more resources not only for the Ribamala section but for the entire N-260 in Ripollès, describing it as a "forgotten road" with sections in poor condition. The vice-president of the Council, Sergi Albrich, emphasizes the need for comprehensive action.
With the involvement of the Servei Català de Trànsit, an improvement is expected with manual traffic regulation on weekends, although the situation is anticipated to continue for several more months.
