Petroli Bridge Works to Affect Promenade

Badalona officials on May 13 presented a 4 million-euro plan to rebuild and strengthen the Pont del Petroli, the seafront walkway that has remained partly destroyed since storm Gloria hit in 2020. Xavier García Albiol, the city’s mayor, said works will begin on June 1 and continue through October or November. The project will affect both the beach and the Maritime Promenade during the summer, with passage blocked at the bridge to allow trucks and heavy equipment through. ### When do the works start, and how long will they last? June 1 is the start date Albiol gave at the project presentation in Badalona. He said the works must be done in summer because sea conditions are more suitable than in autumn or winter. The current schedule runs through October or November. (en.ara.cat) Late 2026 is the reopening window Albiol gave for the renovated structure. La Vanguardia reported that city and metropolitan officials said the bridge could reopen between October and November if the timetable holds. ### What parts of the promenade and beach will be affected? (en.ara.cat) About 75 meters of beach on each side of the bridge will be occupied during the works, according to details Albiol gave when the project was presented. On the Maritime Promenade, passage will be blocked at the height of the bridge so trucks can access the site. (lavanguardia.com) Badalona residents near the promenade were asked for “understanding and patience” while the works continue, La Razón reported from the presentation. Albiol described the expected disruptions as “important” for the promenade area and the nearby beach. ### What exactly is being rebuilt on the Pont del Petroli? (en.ara.cat) The project will restore the walkway’s original appearance while replacing the destroyed end platform with a circular structure. AMB engineer Víctor Ortiz said the aim is to restore the existing bridge while giving the structure greater rigidity and resistance. (larazon.es) The new end platform will have an outer diameter of 13 meters and a central opening of 4.20 meters, according to project details reported by La Vanguardia. The rebuilt section will sit on 11 piles, each 80 centimeters in diameter, driven about 12 meters below the seabed. A 120-square-meter platform is planned at the end of the walkway, and users will have a clear passage width of four meters, ARA reported. (en.ara.cat) Albiol also said the bridge will include a research space, a meteorological station and a new lighting system. ### Why has the bridge stayed closed for so long? (lavanguardia.com) Storm Gloria damaged the structure in 2020, destroying the platform at the end of the walkway and leaving the bridge closed for six years. ARA reported that the reconstruction project followed a six-year analysis process by the Barcelona metropolitan authority. (en.ara.cat) March 2025 was when Badalona received the favorable report needed to move ahead, according to La Vanguardia. That report followed years of administrative delays and technical reviews involving Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition. ### How are officials trying to protect the rebuilt bridge from future storms? (en.ara.cat) A 500-square-meter self-elevating work platform will be installed on four piles embedded in the seabed so the construction base can be raised in storm conditions, ARA reported. La Vanguardia said the marine platform will support a 300-ton crane used to move 35 towers weighing 30 tons each. (lavanguardia.com) Ramon Torra, manager of the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona, said the project is intended to deliver a more resilient bridge after the damage caused by Gloria. He said the goal is to avoid a repeat of the 2020 destruction and give the structure greater capacity to withstand similar storms. (en.ara.cat) ### Who is paying for the project, and what happens next? The 4.082 million-euro project is being co-financed by the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona and Badalona City Council, La Vanguardia reported. The bridge itself is 235 meters long, and the rebuilt structure will extend to about 250 linear meters into the sea from the promenade in the Progrés neighborhood. (en.ara.cat) October or November is the target for finishing the works, according to the timeline presented on May 13. The next visible milestone is the June 1 start of construction on the bridge, with beach occupation and promenade restrictions beginning as the marine platform and heavy equipment move into place. (en.ara.cat) (lavanguardia.com)