Paseo Marítimo Near Completion: Reopening at the End of October — and the Uncomfortable Questions

Almost finished, but not fully thought through: Paseo Marítimo shortly before opening

It smells of fresh asphalt, seagulls are squabbling over a plastic bag and on the Avenida you can hear less of the rhythmic pounding of jackhammers – signs that the large Paseo Marítimo construction site is drawing to a close. The port authority APB is aiming for a reopening between the end of October and the beginning of November. There will probably be an opening event: a bit of drumming, perhaps a few speeches and then room to stroll again. Nice, you think, but are all problems really solved?

What remains to be seen before the opening?

The final works are concentrated at three prominent points: the steps by the Hard Rock Café down to Es Jonquet, the bridge at Porto Pi toward the cruise ship berth and a widening of the bridge at Sa Riera near Avenida Argentina. Workers in reflective vests are laying cables, here and there a drill in the late morning – the usual end-of-construction sounds. Residents breathe a sigh of relief: “Finally room to stroll again,” a neighbor said this morning while her small dog tugged at the leash.

The attractive promises — and the questions that remain

Wider sidewalks, barrier-free access and new lighting sound good on paper. Bike lanes are to be more clearly marked, green islands replanted, benches placed along the water. But the central question remains: What about the effects on traffic and the quality of life in the adjacent neighborhoods? More space on the promenade can redirect car flows, increase pressure in side streets and worsen the search for parking. The issue is not new, but it is rarely thoroughly considered in the euphoria of an opening.

Another often overlooked question: What role will cruise ships play in this new environment? Proximity to the cruise terminal brings economic benefits for cafés and restaurants, but at the same time noise, increased pedestrian flows and short-term traffic burdens rise – especially on days with multiple departures. Will there be temporary closures then? Will promenade areas be controlled during high demand? The schedule remains largely silent on these points so far.

Little illuminated: maintenance, monitoring and financing

The biggest mistake in urban improvements is to treat the opening photo as the end of all worries. What is rarely discussed: Who pays for the regular upkeep of the planted islands? Who cleans the promenade after summer nights of music and trash? How will lighting and accessibility be monitored and adjusted in the long term? Without clear answers, the new features risk fading quickly – both literally and figuratively.

Concrete ideas: a small maintenance levy for commercial users of the promenade, monthly air quality monitoring on cruise ship days and a citizen app for reporting damage could help. In the short term, experimental Sunday pedestrian zones without car traffic in certain sections would be a testable solution to make traffic shifts visible and collect data for permanent measures.

What the city administration and the APB should do now

The APB has announced information events – that is good. But the public debate must continue and become concrete. Proposals we should see in detail:

- Traffic measurements before and after the opening to quantify traffic shifts.
- Temporary traffic calming in side streets during the first months after opening, combined with shuttles for elderly people and parents with prams.
- A maintenance fund for cleaning and planting, financed in part by nearby businesses and tourism levies.
- A transparent plan for days with cruise ship traffic: access controls, maps for bus routes and coordinated ferry arrival times to smooth peaks.

A practical tip to finish

Anyone who wants to enjoy the reopening should take a look in the first days after it opens — not only for the benches and the sea view, but also to observe how the new space is actually used. If you hear children's laughter, street musicians and the click-clack of prams, the city is having a good day. If you only hear car horns, we know something still needs adjusting.

The Paseo Marítimo is more than asphalt and lamps. It is a piece of urban life that must be recalibrated — between strolling, tourism and residents' interests. At the end of October there will be opening photos; the real work begins afterwards.