Dismantling the walkway in Puerto Alcudia, Mallorca

Work started at the end of the season. | Lola Olmo

Andrew EdeAlcudia19/11/2023 08:11
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It was built towards the end of the 1990s as part of the project to pedestrianise the Paseo Marítimo in Alcudia and was representative of an era when Alcudia attracted other structures that were to become talking-points - Ben Jakober's Leonardo's Knot on the Magic Roundabout, Aligi Sassu's horse, the bridge that went nowhere. What were they?

The bridge (a walkway), apart from some architectural claims that were made for it, was so that visitors could have views of the port. How many photos of the marina and the beach stretching away from the marina have been taken over the years?

There won't be any more, as the walkway is coming down. There had been fears that it might come down of its own accord. Alcudia town hall was certainly concerned enough about its deterioration to have it closed off some time ago; it wasn't doing much for the tourist image of Alcudia either.

It isn't and never was town hall property. The Paseo Marítimo is Balearic Ports Authority domain, and it is the ports authority which has organised its dismantling. The final phase of the walkway's removal started after the season ended. The cost is close to 300,000 euros - the ports authority is paying. There are some questions as to whether a pergola that is over the tourist information office will also go, but the walkway will definitively disappear.

Made of wood with an iron base, the contractor - Amer e Hijos - says that the materials will be recyclable. Meanwhile, for some residents the disappearance of the walkway will be a blessing. They reckoned that it blocked their views. A bridge to nowhere designed to give the many a view had deprived a few of a similar view.