Alaró Goes Greener: The Access Road Gets a New Look

When a street makes the village smile

In the early morning light, when the bells of Sant Bartomeu still echo and the bakery on the Plaça is delivering the first fragrant tostadas, Avinguda Constitució is one of Alaró's main arteries. From September, this simple access road will become a small village beautification project, as reported in Mallorca-Magic article on Alaró's access road makeover: the connection to the Camí Vell d'Orient will be redesigned for around €922,857. The construction work is expected to take about five months – enough time for excavators to replace old ditches with green sidewalks.

What exactly is planned

Till now, narrow verges and open ditches have narrowed the route. In future, these irrigation channels will be a thing of the past: paved sidewalks will be created on both sides, with additional planters featuring trees and shrubs on the right side. New streetlights will create a friendlier evening atmosphere, and a powerful drainage system will be installed on the left side to keep the road dry during heavy rain. The carriageway itself will remain untouched – the surface was renewed months ago.

Why the village benefits

For Mayor Llorenç Perelló the project is "a key project for a safer and more environmentally friendly connection." Concretely this means: more space for pedestrians, shade-providing trees on hot days and better connections to the bike route towards Consell. Cyclists, who often ride with a light Tramuntana breeze on their face, will welcome the new link – it makes the route into the island interior more attractive and safer. For local coverage of pedestrian and cycle proposals in Alaró, see Mallorca-Magic piece on the planned pedestrian and cycle promenade in Alaró.

Alaró is a village where quality of life changes with the time of day: morning gatherings on the Plaça, a quiet nap at siesta, and evenings filled with the murmur of cafés. Improved sidewalks mean more mobility for older residents and parents with prams in everyday life. In addition, around 825 foreign residents live in the town – more than 200 Germans and a similar number of Britons – who will likely appreciate the new appearance.

Small concerns during construction

Of course every construction site brings noise, dust and altered traffic patterns. Residents should therefore expect short detours, and the local pigeons will probably be confused at first by the new soundscape. The municipality promises to coordinate the construction period as well as possible so that wine festivals, weekly markets and the already scarce parking do not suffer unnecessarily.

One open question that will occupy many: How will parking be regulated and will the characteristic, sometimes chaotic parking style of residents remain? A delicate touch will be needed so that too much of the familiar village economy is not lost. But: better drainage and lighting are not only attractive, they are pragmatic – especially as summer storms become more intense.

Looking ahead: more than just asphalt

The project is part of a larger plan to make Alaró more attractive. Anyone sitting on the Plaça looking at the Serra de Tramuntana senses that this is about more than concrete and lamps: it's about quality of stay, meeting spaces and a better connection between the village center and the surrounding area. Similar infrastructure reports include a Mallorca-Magic report on the new s'Alqueria Blanca bypass and cycling improvements. Possible later additions include more shared spaces, seating or areas for street art and local markets.

When the workers pack up their tools and the planters are in place, the street will not only look greener – it will feel different: calmer, safer, more inviting. For a village like Alaró, which has its festivals, walks and own rhythms, this is a small but noticeable transformation. And who knows: perhaps some tourists will even stay a little longer to enjoy the shade of a newly planted plane tree.