SUPPORT FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO HELP AVOID TERRITORIAL FRAGMENTATION GENERATED BY LARGE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES IN THE GIRONA DEMARCATION (CATALONIA)

IntroductionThe Girona Demarcation sits in the extreme northeast corner of the Iberian Peninsula. It spans an area of 5,905.45 Km2 and has a population density of 126.63 inhabitants/ Km2. This region, due to the confluence and convergence of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Eurosiberian phytogeographic regions, exhibits a markedly diverse landscape and biodiversity. Natural areas of great natural interest constitute over 70% of its territory, half of which are protected by some manner of legal protection, albeit in an independent and isolated manner, without considering their necessary interaction. The natural heritage therein contained, a prime economic asset comprised of a complex mosaic of reduced, remarkably fragile areas, requires the formation of a continuous territorial network of open, rural and natural areas.

The Demarcation is traversed, from north to south, by a series of four parallel road and railway infrastructures: the AP-7 Toll Highway, the A-2 Highway, the conventional railway line between Barcelona and Portbou and the new High Speed Rail (TGV) line. Currently, both the AP-7 and A-2 are being worked on, wherefore respective extension and widening projects are under way. The main problem lies in the fragmentation of the territory and, due to the complete lack of joint and efficient permeability measures and faulty coordination from the corresponding administrations, the accumulative barrier effect they generate, as this represents the main link between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.The affected locations decided to undertake joint action within the CILMA policy framework, given that supporting local administrations in promoting the sustainable installation of transport infrastructures is one of this advising body’s primary objectives.

Since 2003, in an effort to minimise each infrastructure’s barrier effect, a number of successive technical proposals, agreed upon by all local organisations, have been presented to the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Public Works. A request/requirement has also been formulated to provide the necessary restoration of the 24 identified socio-ecological corridors legal grounds. All approaches defended for each transport route hold a special coherence between them. Thus, the proposal to correct the AP-7 and A-2, still awaiting response from the corresponding ministers, completes a series of structures that enable the measures successfully adopted for the TGV in 2006 to function correctly.

MethodologySeveral studies and reports commissioned by the Girona Regional Council and CILMA have been compiled to illustrate theimportance of conserving and connecting the open spaces surrounding the infrastructure corridor. To guarantee technical quality,the commissions received the external multidisciplinary assessment of engineers with expertise in public works, environmental planning consultants, a legal cabinet specialised in environmental issues and scientists from the Universitat de Girona.

The action proposals included a number of route changes, as, for example, in adjusting the TGV route within the townships around the Fluvià River, while ensuring it coincides with the AP-7 and A-2 corridor on the same side of Bàscara’s urban centre. This formula entailed safeguarding an area of great ecological value from destruction, while not affecting the surrounding area’s historic nuclei. The proposal was not accepted, resulting in the disappearance of riverside vegetation, the destruction of hydrogeologic formations of primary interest and the drying of the Cassinyola stream, which, historically, had never ceased to provide water.

A proposal to merge the two roads into one single corridor between the municipalities of Girona and Figueres was also defended in the AP-7 extension and A-2 widening project. It consisted of removing the toll and using the same criteria the competent administration applied to the Girona conurbation. The routes of these two roads run practically parallel between the two cities, the Demarcation’s chief economic and intermodal poles, and are virtually touching. Therefore, merging would provide some highly substantial advantages: economic stimulation in the Girona Region, saving resources and land use, favouring a more socially just transport system, cleaning up the various kinds of mobility, correcting the high territorial and scenic fragmentation... This alternative has not, as yet, been considered.

The bulk of the proposals addresses permeability measures, incorporating new overpasses and underpasses or extending those currently existing (tunnels, cut and cover tunnels, ecoducts, overpasses, viaducts, underpasses and pipes), in an effort to guarantee socio-ecological permeability over the entire route of each infrastructure. These proposals have focused particularly on those stretches along which the barrier effect has or could have the greatest impact, given that it intercepts an important corridor. Conversely, other measures have also been considered, such as noise prevention and erosion protection measures, and measures to bolster environmental recovery and landscape integration via the artificial replanting of native species.

With respect to TGV installation, CILMA had the chance to directly negotiate these improvements with the Railway Infrastructure Manager (ADIF), the bulk of which were accepted. This represents a total of sixty-odd structures, mainly ecoducts and viaducts, which entail an accumulative supplementary budget of approximately 500 million euros.The proposal concerning the AP-7 and A-2 was sent to the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Public Works. However, and as with the subsequent proposals concerning minimum corrective measures, a concrete response has not yet been issued. In fact, it was deemed wise for the Generalitat of Catalonia’s Department of Environment and Housing to take over efforts to include these permeability structures, taking advantage of the public information processed within the environmental assessment process. This partnership with the autonomous administration has made the progressive incorporation of several indispensable structures a possibility. Accordingly, it is worth mentioning the implementation of a 70 m long ecoduct within the main Gavarres-Guilleries corridor, at the interchange between the A-2 and AP-7 (Girona South).

The results and conclusions of these studies and proposals have also been sent to the various competent autonomous, state and European administrations, along with the distinct political groups, institutions and entities invested in the territory.

ConclusionsThe Girona Demarcation features a remarkably diverse natural heritage. The fragility of this landscape mosaic necessitates special attention when guaranteeing functional connectivity between its protected areas. Maintaining environmental continuity between the coastal mountain systems and inland areas is particularly important. Currently, this territorial connectivity is only partially covered by the presence of viaducts along fluvial courses. This proves seriously deficient in enabling connectivity between forest systems. An efficient combination of corrective measures between the AP-7, A-2 and TGV has not been implemented at any point along the entire infrastructure corridor, some 110 km in length.

Despite all the solvent instruments and proposals made available by CILMA and the local organisations, only the TGV, via the incorporation of a considerable number of cut and cover tunnels, ecoducts and viaducts, exhibits reasonable permeability.

Equal efforts are required to attain AP-7 and A-2 permeability, taking advantage of the respective extension and widening projects. Otherwise, the large investment incurred with the TGV will be rendered useless. We are still awaiting a positive response from the corresponding ministers of the Spanish Government.

Connectivity flow with the measures planned or executed by the Ministry of Public Works (Spanish Government’s)

Connectivity flow with the permeability measures proposed by CILMA and the local organizations

1 First Vice President of CILMA2 Coordinator of Environment and Territory for the Girona Regional Council and Technical Secretary of CILMA3 CILMA: The Council of Local Initiatives for the Environment of the Girona Region. Santa Eugènia, 10, 4 - 17001 Girona (Catalonia) Webpage: http://www.cilma.cat Contact: cilma@ddgi.cat

4,5 Department of Geography (Universitat de Girona) Plaça FerraterMora, 1 - 17071 Girona (Spain) (diego.varga@udg.edu & josep.vila@udg.edu)

Jesús Llauró 1, Jaume Hidalgo 2, Judit Vilà 3, Diego Varga 4 & Josep Vila 5

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Montseny Natural Park

Massís Montnegre-el Corredor

Massís de Cadiretes

Massís de GuilleriesMassís de les Gavarres

Muntanyes de Rocacorba

Montgrí-Illes MedesNatural Park

Alta Garrotxa

Massís de l'Albera

Cap de Creus Natural Park

Aiguamolls Alt EmpordàNatural Park

Medite

rrane

an S

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Legend

Large connectivity flows (proposed by CILMA)

Natural areas

Highway 2

High-speed train

Toll Highway 7

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Riparian not guaranteed

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Urban

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Multifunctional

Urban areas

Corridors

Protected areas

Agrarian

Buffer areas

Linear transportationinfrastructure

Permeability measures(proposed by CILMA) NOT implemented

Anthropic areas

FRANCE

Toll Highway 7 OR Highway 2

Toll Highway 7 AND Highway 2

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0 4 8 Km2

GIRONA

FIGUERES

Riparian guaranteed

Girona

Demarcation

CILMA: The Council of Local Initiatives for the Environment of the Girona Region (Consell d’Iniciatives Locals per al Medi Ambient de les comarques de Girona), is an association of local organisations formed by the Girona Regional Council in 1999 to promote sustainable development in municipal policy and management. It currently comprises over 180 of the Demarcation’s 221 municipalities, the 8 regional councils and the Girona Regional Council itself.

Culvert"Riera de la Torre"

Culvert"Rec Can Gibert"

Underpass L=10 m"Riera del Regàs"

Cutting"Mas Vinyoles"

Underpass L=12 m"Riera de la Torre"

Underpass L=2 m"Camps de Can Figueres"

Cutting"Mas Gelats"

Underpass L=8"Camps de Can Massot"

Viaduct L= 70 m"Riera Can Gibert"

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################Cutting "Mas Vinyoles"

Underpass L=16 m"Riera de la Torre"

Underpass L= 5 m"Can Mateu"

Cutting"Can Daniel"

Culvert"Riera d'en Vinyers"

Culvert"Vinyers"

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Viaduct L= 50 m"Torrent de Can Garrofa"

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Highway 2

High-speed train

Toll Highway 7

Permeability measures¡À

Connectivity flows####

Southern zone of green beltin Girona's urban area

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Ecoduct L=70 m"Southern zone green belt (Girona)"

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Viaduct 70 m."Rec Can Gibert"

Underpass L=10 m"Riera del Regàs"

3 Underpass L(total)= 36 m"Riera de la Torre"

Underpass L=8"Camps de Can Massot"

Viaduct L= 70 m"Riera Can Gibert"

Cut and cover tunnelL=50 m "Mas Vinyoles"

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0 500 1000 m.250

Underpass L= 10 m"Riera del Regàs"

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Viaduct L= 50 m"Torrent de Can Garrofa" ¡À

Underpass L=15 m."Riera d'en Vinyers" ¡À

EcoductL=20 m "Mas Gelats"

¡ÀWildlife crossing L= 70 mSouthern zone green belt (Girona)

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Underpass L=2 m"Camps de Can Figueres"

Underpass L= 16 m"Riera de la Torre"¡À

Cut and cover tunnelL=100 "Mas Vinyoles"

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Underpass L=16 m."Riera de la Torre"

Underpass L=16 m."Can Mateu"

Cut and cover tunnel L=150 m "Can Daniel"

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Underpass 15 m."Vinyers"

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Measures planned and approvedby the Spanish Government's Ministry of Public Works

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¡ÀMeasures proposed by CILMA(waiting to be approved)

Southern zone of green beltin Girona's urban area

Highway 2

High-speed train

Toll Highway 7

Connectivity flows####