Inauguration of the B-40
This Friday saw the inauguration of the 6.2 kilometer section of the B-40, also known as the Fourth Belt or Ronda Nord, which connects Olesa de Montserrat in Baix Llobregat with Viladecavalls in Vallès Occidental. After 17 years of delays and postponements, this new infrastructure has finally been completed
The newly inaugurated section has 1.3 kilometers of tunnel in the Olesa area. With this new section, a total of 13.2 kilometers of motorway has been completed that connects Baix Llobregat and Vallès Occidental, thus connecting Abrera in Baix Llobregat with Terrassa
A project with obstacles
The B-40 is a ring road that surrounds Barcelona and has been long awaited by the mayors of Sabadell and Terrassa. The project, known as Quart Cinturó, began to be planned in the sixties with the aim of uniting Penedès, Vallès and Maresme. However, its construction has been delayed for various reasons, such as economic problems during the 2011 crisis and difficulties in construction (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_(grammatical)).
Work on the B-40 began in 2009, but has suffered several postponements over the years. In 2010, the works were paralyzed and resumed between 2015 and 2016, with different levels of progress. In May 2022, work was restarted that finally allowed the completion of the section. During this time, there have also been changes to the opening schedule, with different dates announced. The initial budget of 129 million euros planned in 2007 has increased to the 250 million euros that the infrastructure finally cost
Mobility benefits
The B-40 is considered a key project for mobility in the regions of Baix Llobregat and Vallès Occidental. According to the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, this infrastructure will unite the main industrial drivers of Catalonia and improve the connection between these two regions.
In the last budget agreement, the PSC achieved the commitment of ERC for the construction of the Terrassa-Sabadell section. However, the Government considers that the B-40 ends in Terrassa and refers to the Terrassa-Sabadell section as Ronda Nord, not as B-40. Furthermore, the extension of the road beyond Sabadell towards Granollers is not proposed (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_(grammatical)).
