Andratx-Palma traffic has increased almost 15% in a year

Journey can take up to 90 minutes

Traffic on the Andratx-Palma motorway, Mallorca

Traffic on the Andratx-Palma motorway. | Alejandro Sepúlveda

Andrew EdePalma02/09/2023 07:51

Traffic data from the Council of Mallorca point to a 14.7% year-on-year increase in the number of vehicles on the Andratx-Palma MA-1. Between January to July last year there were some eleven million vehicles. For the same seven months of 2023 there were 12.6 million.

The volume of traffic is such that it is said that it can take up to 90 minutes to do the journey between Andratx and Palma, whereas it should be more like 35 minutes, and that an alternative route - the old Palmanova road - has become busier. Tailbacks can be as long as fifteen kilometres.

Is this a case of greater traffic saturation because of tourism? Up to a point it is, though month-by-month figures indicate that the largest percentage increase was in January - 79.7%, 827,151 vehicles, 366,915 more than in 2022.

In February there were 1,484,300 vehicles (228,430 more, 18.2%); March, 1,701,179 (252,113 more, 17.4%); April, 2,001,938 (327,583 more, 19.6%). For May to July, the increases were all below ten per cent, with the lowest having been July - 4.84%, 2,290,201 vehicles, 105,879 more than in 2022.

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2 comments

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Stan The Man | about 1 year ago

I totally agree with Ulla. There are too many cars on this Island. I doubt the Government can do anything. But it is another aspect of increasing wealth here. Perhaps Electric Cars when compulsory may reduce the amount on the roads. But the real answer is hydrogen power for all vehicles,with just water coming from their exhausts and high costs.

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Ulla Jackson | about 1 year ago

Mallorca blames the tourists for the increase in traffic when the truth is that it's the locals are the problems. Trying to tackle that problem will be interesting to see what the local government wants to do. I guess nothing.