Nightly closure of the Son Vic tunnel: Why it is happening again and what it means for Andratx

Nightly closure of the Son Vic tunnel: Why it is happening again and what it means for Andratx

Key question: Is the current practice of nightly full closures sufficient to guarantee safety without unduly burdening residents and commuters?

The announcement is short and practical: the Son Vic tunnel in Andratx will be completely closed tonight between 22:00 and 6:00, and traffic will be diverted via Paguera. The island council advises allowing extra time. Those are the facts. But anyone driving through Andratx this evening or waiting at the town square can feel that such closures trigger more than just indicators and detours: they are nights that generate planning costs for commuters, suppliers and emergency services.

The tunnel, built in the 1990s, shows age-related damage according to the authorities; maintenance work is therefore repeatedly necessary. That sounds plausible, but it is only half the story if we do not ask how this infrastructure is managed in the long term.

At the weekly market in the late afternoon you can hear the discussions: a taxi driver rolls his eyes, a group of older residents talk about late journeys home, a hotel shuttle tries to coordinate new routes. Sounds familiar in Andratx — engines, agreed honks, the rustle of plastic bags. Scenes like these come alive again with every nightly closure.

Critical analysis: nightly full closures make sense for certain tasks — for example when lighting, fire safety systems or load‑bearing elements need to be inspected. But too often it remains unclear whether less disruptive alternatives might be possible: phased closures, temporary lanes, or work in shorter, scheduled time windows instead of entire nights. Transparency is often lacking: which parts are exactly affected, how long do individual measures really take, and what prioritization guides the repairs?

What is missing from the public debate is an honest cost‑benefit discussion and concrete information on the long‑term strategy for tunnels and roads on the island. It is rarely addressed openly what investments would be necessary to make such interventions rarer. Nor is there much discussion about whether alternative transport — bus routes, car‑pooling, night delivery zones — should be actively promoted to reduce traffic pressure during closures.

Concrete, feasible solutions locally: first, better advance information. Digital signs at the town entrances and targeted social media notices could reach residents earlier. Second, finer work planning: instead of closing a tunnel completely, work can often be done in segments with a secured opposing direction. Third, temporary infrastructure: mobile diversion markings, additional police or traffic marshal hours at critical junctions. Fourth, medium term: a renovation plan with a priority list for all island tunnels, financed through clear budgets from the Consell so that emergency repairs do not become the norm.

For the people of Andratx this means concretely: if you are especially stressed tonight, consider alternatives — leave earlier, form car shares or plan for the detour via Paguera. For businesses it means adapting delivery cycles to such closure times. And for those responsible: use every closure as an opportunity to improve communication and planning.

Conclusion: safety checks and renovations are indispensable. But recurrent full nightly closures as the standard are a sign of poor forward‑looking infrastructure planning. A mix of better communication, smarter work division and long‑term investment would save time and nerves for Andratx and the entire island. So tonight, bring a flashlight, a bit of patience and a dose of local pragmatism — Mallorca can cope well with diversions when the planning is right.