Sant Josep mayor Vicent Roig Tur has renewed his criticism of the road leading to Ibiza Airport after flooding caused by Storm DANA Adam, arguing that the infrastructure was never completed as originally planned. His comments have reignited debate over the road's drainage system, even as he praised improvements made in recent months that helped Playa d'en Bossa recover more quickly after the latest heavy rainfall.

During a visit to Playa d'en Bossa on Tuesday, 20 October, Roig Tur said the airport road's problems stemmed from decisions taken following a change of government that left parts of the original project unfinished.

“The airport road was a road that, because of a change of government, was done badly and finished badly. That was the main problem,” the mayor said.

His criticism follows another episode of severe flooding on the EI-800, one of Ibiza's principal access routes to the airport, during three days of intense rainfall associated with DANA Adam.

Why the Airport Road's Drainage Remains Controversial

Roig Tur had already raised concerns about the road after serious flooding in October 2025. At that time, he argued that the original project included a system to carry rainwater towards the sea from the area around the Sant Jordi racecourse and the ses Salines roundabout.

According to the mayor, that drainage solution was never fully implemented, contributing to the recurring accumulation of water along the road.

The dispute dates back to the development of Ibiza's main roads in the 2000s, when some infrastructure works remained unfinished following a change in the Balearic regional government.

The precise responsibility for the current drainage problems, however, should not be reduced to the mayor's political assessment alone. The road's drainage capacity has been identified as a structural issue, and the regional government has acknowledged the need for further infrastructure improvements.

In January 2026, the Balearic Government outlined plans for additional work to address the problem. Emergency measures had already been carried out around the racecourse, including improvements to drainage and the expansion of a channel to more than twice its previous capacity.

At the time of the latest report, it was not clear which further planned works had begun or how much of the longer-term project had been completed.

Record Rainfall During DANA Adam

The mayor also highlighted the exceptional volume of rainfall recorded during the latest storm.

Roig Tur said the measurements from Ibiza Airport's weather station at es Codolar had set an absolute record across the 74-year measurement series, although he did not provide the accumulated totals during his remarks.

Separately, Pablo Gárriz, the Balearic Government's Director General for Emergencies and the Interior, confirmed that October 2026 had become the wettest October in the previous 75 years in the records examined for Ibiza and Formentera.

Gárriz reported rainfall totals of between 193 and 197 litres per square metre around es Codolar and the airport.

The distinction matters: the mayor's statement concerned the measurement series he referenced, while the regional government's confirmation specifically concerned October rainfall records.

Playa d'en Bossa Recovers More Quickly

Despite the scale of the rainfall, Roig Tur said much of Playa d'en Bossa had returned close to normal within hours of the rain stopping.

He praised the work carried out by municipal services and the coordination between Sant Josep Town Hall, the Ibiza Island Council and the Balearic Government.

The mayor said improvements made in recent months included replacing sewer pipes and carrying out drainage works intended to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall.

He also highlighted cooperation with the regional government's roads department, describing coordination between the administrations as effective.

The regional government separately confirmed that the underground section of the airport road near the Sant Jordi racecourse had suffered less flooding than in the previous year, which it attributed to interventions carried out in recent months.

Fifty Emergency Operations in Sant Josep

Sant Josep recorded 50 emergency-service interventions linked to DANA Adam between Sunday, 18 October, and Tuesday, 20 October, according to the municipality's final tally.

Thirty interventions, representing 60% of the total, took place in the municipality's southeastern area, covering Sant Jordi, Ibiza Airport, Playa d'en Bossa, ses Salines and sa Carroca.

The incidents included flooding on public roads, water entering homes and garages, problems affecting drainage and sewer networks, and obstacles on roads.

Roig Tur said no personal injuries had been recorded in the municipality and praised the caution shown by residents, alongside the work of emergency personnel and the administrations involved.

He acknowledged that considerable work remained, despite the faster recovery compared with previous flooding episodes.

Further Work Needed to Address Structural Problems

The latest storm has again highlighted the vulnerability of parts of Ibiza's road infrastructure during periods of intense rainfall.

While recent interventions appear to have helped reduce the impact in some locations, the airport road's recurring flooding has kept pressure on the authorities to deliver a longer-term solution.

Roig Tur's latest comments underline the unresolved disagreement over how the road was originally completed. The regional government's previous announcements, meanwhile, show that additional drainage works have been considered necessary.

The remaining question is how quickly the planned structural measures can be delivered and whether they will be sufficient to prevent similar disruption during future episodes of torrential rain.