The action, included in the Consell de Mallorca’s plan to improve access and mobility in Palma, has managed to reduce traffic jams on the motorway during Easter Week on days with nearly 1,000 flights a day at Son Sant Joan.

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A new exit from the airport to the Llucmajor motorway successfully opened to traffic

The Consell de Mallorca opened the new exit from the airport to the Llucmajor motorway to traffic during Easter Week. It was a conflictive point that caused the accordion effect and vehicles travelling on the motorway had to give way to those from the airport, which caused significant traffic jams. The Consell’s technicians have verified that the action has been a notable success and there have been no traffic jams during Easter Week, with busy days and nearly 1,000 flights scheduled daily at Son Sant Joan.

This new exit was put into operation during Easter Week to test the results it offered on days with heavy traffic. The technical staff of the island’s infrastructures department have noted a significant improvement in the fluidity of the accesses to the Ma-19 motorway from the airport.

The project consisted of connecting, using a road, the incorporation of the airport to the motorway in the Santanyí direction with exit 8 at Can Pastilla. This connection makes it easier to manoeuvre in and out of the motorway on this section and reduces traffic jams due to interference with the main traffic.

When there was a high density of vehicles leaving the airport and wanting to join the motorway, the so-called accordion effect was created. The differences in speed between the vehicles travelling in the central lanes of the motorway and those joining it cause constant braking and this is when congestion and traffic jams form. “With this connection, which has been built on land in the easement area of the motorway itself and without consuming land, a large part of the traffic coming from the airport is diverted towards the Can Pastilla exit to join the motorway. In this way, traffic jams are minimised”, explained the Minister of Territory, Mobility and Infrastructures, Fernando Rubio. The works have had a budget of 327,000 euros.