Under the Ma-20: Vision with a Catch — How Realistic Is Palma's Green Ring?

Under the Ma-20: Vision with a Catch — How Realistic Is Palma's Green Ring?

Key question: Can tunneling the Vía de Cintura really create space for continuous urban greenery without overburdening Palma in terms of traffic and finances?

In the morning, when the city buses honk as they stop in the Son Gotleu neighborhood and the first bakers open their doors across the street, the Ma-20 is more than concrete and asphalt: it is background noise, a route, a construction site and a dividing line all at once. That the Social Democratic group now proposes to put much of the ring motorway underground and lay a continuous green belt above fits this image — it is a big, almost romantic idea. But is romance enough when it comes to tunnels, shifting noise, and municipal budgets?

Technically the proposal rests on several pillars — some stable, others shaky. Tunnel construction is possible today, even in densely built-up areas, as discussed in Rethinking the Ring Road: Tunnel, Rail Alignment and the Question of Benefit for Palma. But where utility lines, residential areas and sensitive soils meet closely, costs and complexity quickly rise. It is not just about pipes and concrete: ventilation, emergency exits, storm drainage and the ongoing maintenance of ventilation and fire-protection systems are recurring cost factors that often get too little attention in political debates.

Financially the greatest unknown remains. The PSOE calls for a feasibility study and mentions EU funds as an option — that is the right first step. But an investigation must not stop at a rough cost estimate. Must Palma plan for billions, seek private partners, or will the state foot the bill? Each solution has side effects: private investors expect returns; balancing those without sacrificing public space is tricky. And who pays for the decades-long upkeep of this infrastructure?

Public discussion currently lacks a sober look at traffic behavior. The Ma-20 is not only a physical barrier, it serves a functional purpose: fast bypass routes, truck connections to the port and airport, commuter flows. Building a tunnel while leaving car traffic untouched means: the same traffic load, only underground. That reduces noise and emissions at the surface, but it does not change susceptibility to congestion or the space requirements. Those who truly want to mend breaks in the urban fabric must also offer alternatives: better public transport links, bus lanes, park-and-ride strategies and targeted traffic management, and this includes exploring options already proposed, such as Rethinking the Ring Road: Space for a Rail Link to Llucmajor — Opportunity or Construction Nightmare?.

What has barely appeared in the public discourse so far is the social component of the construction phase. Major construction sites bring vibrations, dust and altered delivery routes. Residents of adjacent neighborhoods — La Soledat, Rafal Vell, Son Malferit — are often the first to feel these burdens. Without clear compensation, noise-protection and support programs, a socially healing project can quickly become a local burden. Equally missing is a plan to ensure that the freed-up surface areas remain permanently public. Comparable projects in other cities show: without binding rules, spaces are quickly privatized, as seen in Rethinking Portixol: More Green, Fewer Parking Spaces — But at What Cost?.

Concrete approaches that could advance a serious debate are on the table and should be examined quickly: 1) A staged feasibility study with separate chapters for traffic, geology, costs and social impacts; 2) Pilot sections — instead of one all-or-nothing mega-project — to realistically test construction methods, ventilation and operational demands; 3) A binding commitment on surface use that guarantees social housing shares, community spaces and long-term maintenance of the green areas; 4) A financing mix from EU urban-renewal programs, national infrastructure funds and strictly regulated PPP contracts that set return limits and buy-back options; 5) Parallel programs to strengthen public transport so that fewer car trips are needed.

An everyday scenario often missing: imagine Carrer Aragón on a Tuesday — cyclists on new wide paths, children on their way to school, older people on benches in the shade of a newly planted plane-tree avenue. At the same time, drilling takes place elsewhere; trucks deliver material, and workers from the neighborhood are employed in planting and maintenance. This mix of benefit and burden is possible, but only if planning, communication and social compensation go hand in hand.

Conclusion, brief and unsentimental: the idea of softening the Ma-20 and returning it as a green ring is politically clever and urbanistically appealing. But it must not become mere headline. Those who have visions now need a sober cost-benefit analysis, real alternatives to car traffic and binding rules for the future public space. Otherwise a hopeful project will turn into an expensive construction site that only cosmetically paints over established dividing lines. Better air for Palma, more trees and more permeable neighborhoods — that is possible. But realistic planning, clear financing paths and protection mechanisms for the people living beside the Ma-20 are the conditions for success.