Seven organisations in Mallorca have criticised the planned €350 million first section of Palma's Second Ring Road, arguing that the project gives greater priority to expanding road capacity than to improving public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure across the island.

The groups issued their joint statement on Saturday, September 19, following the Consell de Mallorca's presentation of the project earlier in the week. They are questioning both its expected effect on congestion and its consistency with the Balearic Islands' existing mobility objectives.

Who Is Opposing the Project?

The statement was signed by the Asociación de Usuarios del Tren, Vianants Mallorca, Terraferida, Amics de la Terra, Plataforma Anti-Autopista, Plataforma Maria poble petit and Sineu en Bici i a Peu.

The organisations include groups representing train users, pedestrians, environmental interests and residents.

They describe their objection as a question of island-wide priorities, arguing that major investment in the new road should be considered alongside the needs of smaller towns and communities outside Palma.

What Is the Second Ring Road?

The project concerns the first section of a planned second ring road around Palma.

According to the Consell de Mallorca, the infrastructure is intended to connect the Llucmajor motorway, the Ma-19, with the Inca motorway, the Ma-13, using sections of the network that already exist. The aim is to divert part of the traffic currently using the Via de Cintura, or Ma-20.

The Consell says the Via de Cintura currently carries an average of around 185,000 vehicles a day and is one of the most heavily congested roads in Spain.

€350 Million in Two Phases

The first section has a planned budget of €350 million.

The first phase is budgeted at €90 million and will focus on the connection from the Ma-19 towards Mercapalma, improvements around Coll d'en Rabassa and changes to several junctions and access routes.

The second phase has a budget of €260 million and includes a new section of the Ma-30 constructed through an approximately one-kilometre urban tunnel. A boulevard and pedestrian and cycling routes are planned above the tunnel.

The Consell says the two phases together have a combined execution period of six years and two months, but it intends to overlap part of the work to shorten the overall period.

Construction Has Not Yet Started

The project has been presented and the Consell says construction is expected to begin towards the end of 2026 or at the beginning of 2027.

That means the €350 million figure is the planned investment for the project, rather than money already spent on completed construction.

The two projects making up the first section were due to move through the public-information process before construction.

What the Consell Says the Road Will Do

The island government says the new infrastructure is designed to improve traffic flow on Palma's access routes and reduce pressure on the Via de Cintura.

It also argues that the project has wider local benefits, including moving the road farther from homes on Carrer del Cardenal Rossell in Coll d'en Rabassa and improving connections to Mercapalma, FAN Mallorca, the airport and surrounding areas.

The second phase is also intended to provide new local connections for pedestrians and cyclists and reserve space for a future railway stop serving the south of Mallorca.

Groups Question the Effect on Congestion

The seven organisations dispute the expected traffic effect.

They say the Consell has not provided a figure showing how many vehicles the new infrastructure is expected to remove from the Via de Cintura and argue that adding road capacity could attract additional traffic over time.

That is their interpretation of the project's likely effect. The Consell, by contrast, says the purpose of the road is specifically to divert a significant part of the traffic currently using the Via de Cintura.

Concern Over Sineu Pedestrian Crossing

The groups also point to a pedestrian crossing used by children attending the CEIP Rodamilans in Sineu.

According to the organisations, drivers do not always respect the crossing and Sineu Town Hall asked the Consell de Mallorca around ten months ago to improve its safety. They say that, at the time of their statement, they had not received a response.

Those claims come from the organisations and have not been independently established in the material reviewed.

Campos Also Raised as an Example

The statement refers to the road through Campos as another example of infrastructure that the organisations believe needs attention.

They point to a study by the Consell itself which, according to the groups, identifies the Campos crossing as a problematic section where traffic-calming and safety measures are needed.

Separately, the Consell approved a €1.6 million project in August 2026 to replace the existing roundabout at the exit from Campos towards Santanyí and Colònia de Sant Jordi, with construction expected to begin towards the end of the year.

The Mobility Plan Comparison

One of the central arguments in the groups' statement is the Balearic Islands' 2019 Mobility Plan.

The plan set a 2026 target of reducing the proportion of resident journeys made by car from 56% to 36%, while increasing the shares of public transport, walking and cycling. The plan estimated a future distribution of 13% for public transport, 42% walking and 9% cycling.

The seven organisations are asking what the current figure is in 2026 and how the Second Ring Road fits with that target.

The Consell, meanwhile, says the new project forms part of a wider mobility policy that includes public transport improvements, measures to limit vehicle pressure and investment in road infrastructure.

Mallorca Has a High Vehicle Ownership Rate

The organisations also point to the Balearic Islands' high level of vehicle ownership.

Data from the Directorate-General for Traffic showed 913 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in the Balearics in 2025, one of the highest rates in Spain. The total vehicle fleet reached 1,141,473 vehicles that year.

The figure includes different types of vehicles and does not mean that 913 vehicles are simultaneously operating on the roads.

A Project That Has Changed in Cost and Design

The seven groups also highlighted that the project is substantially more expensive than an earlier version.

The current €350 million proposal compares with an approximately €110 million figure publicly associated with the project when it was presented in 2024. Critics argue that the increase is linked in part to the inclusion of the tunnel and associated works.

The current project also contains a broader set of junction, road, drainage, urban and pedestrian works than the earlier proposal.

The Tunnel and New Public Space

The tunnel is one of the most significant elements of the revised project.

The Consell says placing part of the new road underground will reduce its urban and landscape impact and allow a new boulevard and pedestrian and cycling routes to be created above it.

Critics argue that putting traffic underground does not necessarily reduce the number of vehicles using the network, which is part of their wider concern about road-capacity expansion.

That remains a matter of competing views about the project's future transport effects rather than an established outcome.

Future Railway Provision Included

The project also includes provision for a future railway stop serving the south of Mallorca.

The Consell says the design has been adapted to accommodate the future Llucmajor railway connection and that the planned stop is intended to support public transport and sustainable mobility.

The seven organisations point out that the railway itself remains at the study stage and question why a major road project is advancing while other transport improvements are still being developed.

What Happens Next?

The Second Ring Road remains a planned infrastructure project rather than an operational road.

The Consell expects work on the first phase to begin towards the end of 2026 or at the beginning of 2027, followed by the second phase. The two phases are planned with some overlap in order to reduce the total delivery period.

At the same time, the seven organisations are continuing to press their objections over the project's cost, expected traffic effects and compatibility with the island's mobility objectives.

Debate Over Mallorca's Transport Priorities

The dispute reflects a broader discussion about how Mallorca should address congestion and mobility.

The Consell's position is that the new connection is needed to divert traffic from the congested Via de Cintura and improve access to Palma. The seven organisations argue that expanding road capacity could perpetuate dependence on private vehicles and that greater attention should be given to public transport, pedestrian safety and cycling infrastructure.

The project is now moving towards its next administrative and construction stages, while the debate over Mallorca's transport priorities continues.