Council criticises work on Valldemossa road

Palma city councillor José María Rodríguez yesterday claimed that there were irregularities in road works to widen the Valldemossa road, a project which is being carried out by the Balearic government. He accused the Balearic ministry of public works of “a lack of transparency” in failing to pass on to the council the modified plans, as requested. Rodriguez said yesterday that the council did not know what the project was like or what modifications had been introduced into the original plan. He visited the site yesterday, and complained about several points which do not comply with a government report dating from December 2000. He said that the underpass in the Camí dels Reis (which belongs to the council) is being made with a central wall which was not in the initial plans and 90 cypress trees have been chopped down. He was particularly angry about the wall, which he says, makes the road dangerous for drivers. He says that the changes to the plans should be subject to public inspection and be approved before work progresses any further. In reply, the Balearic government issued a communique in which it did not mention the wall in the Cami dels Reis but said that the council had not been informed of the modifications because there were no legal precepts which made this obligatory. It added that as work does not affect any urban roads, the city council does not have to be kept informed. Finally it says that plans only have to be posted for public inspection again if the modifications are substantial, and this is not the case on the Valldemossa road.