Completion of Alicante's Castle Ring Road Works: All Four Lanes Reopen to Traffic

Alicante has resumed traffic flow on one of the city's busiest roads this Friday. The Santa Bárbara Castle ring road reopened to traffic on 28th November, marking the end of one of the longest and most significant traffic disruptions of the year in Alicante. The road, which connects Denia Avenue with Alfonso el Sabio, had been affected since mid-July due to urban sanitation renewal works on Vázquez de Mella Street. This weekend, normalcy has returned after months of restrictions, alternating routes, and reduced lanes.

The closure began on 17th July with the removal of the median dividing the roadway, initiating the major summer traffic cut. On that day, cones occupied the section between the city centre access and the Marq roundabout, leading to a first phase marked by the removal of central lanes in both directions. An initial delay in processing one of the documents forced a four-day postponement of the work's start, although the incident did not alter the overall plan.

From there, traffic was limited to the lanes closest to the facades while Aguas de Alicante undertook the renewal of the pipelines, a project that extended throughout the summer and reached its final phase this autumn. The restrictions also affected streets leading into Vázquez de Mella, including Torres Quevedo, García Gutiérrez, Indalecio Prieto, and Doctor Sapena, which experienced diversions and temporary passage alterations.

With the reopening on 28th November, residents and businesses regain normalcy ahead of the Christmas campaign, bidding farewell to months of traffic restrictions. Drivers also finally resume regular circulation on one of the main routes towards the Castle and the Marq area, as well as public transport, which has one of its main access points to the centre on this road.

The works have modernised the sanitation network and prepared the route for future mobility improvement projects in the area. Initially scheduled to finish by 30th September, they were delayed by over two months.

Normalcy thus returns to the Castle ring road after more than four months during which traffic was affected by machinery, trenches, and temporary detours. From today, the road resumes operation with all lanes open and without restrictions.