The Consell de Mallorca begins repairs to the Port de Valldemossa road, damaged by heavy rainfall

The Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Island Council) began repair work on the Port de Valldemossa road (Ma-1131) on Tuesday 10 November, following a landslide caused by heavy rainfall in October. The work, which has been approved under an emergency procedure, has a budget of approximately €200,000 and is expected to take 15 days. During the repairs, the road will be closed to traffic during working hours, while existing access restrictions will remain in place outside those hours.

Repair and stabilisation work on the Port de Valldemossa road, damaged by heavy rainfall in October. Photo: C.I.M.

The Ma-1131 is the only access road for the area’s ten residents and also serves the port’s only restaurant. Outside working hours, access will be restricted to residents, employees and restaurant customers, provided they use light vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kilograms.

Landslide damaged the Port de Valldemossa road

The incident occurred on 21 October, near kilometre marker 2, when heavy rainfall associated with the DANA Adam (isolated high-altitude depression) triggered a landslide and caused a retaining wall measuring 15 metres wide and eight metres high to collapse.

The road, built in 1869, had experienced previous incidents, although the Consell de Mallorca says this was the most serious recorded to date. Before the landslide, the road carried an average of 600 vehicles per day during the high season.

Repair work includes slope stabilisation and a protective barrier

The repairs involve clearing and stabilising the affected area and adjacent sections to reduce the risk of further landslides.

One of the main operations will involve a controlled release of unstable material from the slope below the road to remove loose rocks and other potentially hazardous debris. A two-metre-high protective barrier will also be installed to minimise the impact of any future landslides.

In addition, the collapsed retaining wall will be reinforced with steel bars and a supporting layer applied to the affected surface. Once the structural work is complete, the repaired section of road will be resurfaced.

The Consell expects to complete the repairs in approximately 15 days, although the restoration of normal traffic will depend on the completion of the work.