Sea Gateways – Vila Olímpica
The main objective of the Sea Gateways projects is to improve accessibility and connection to the sea on foot and by bicycle, to create spaces for sea-city interrelation through the main vertebral thoroughfares and secondary transversal corridors capable of linking the spaces of the city with the spaces of the coast, and proposing, if necessary, a new arrangement of the open spaces that facilitates physical and visual access to the sea.
The urban fabric of Barcelona, from Montjuïc to Besòs, is characterised by streets that go all the way to the seafront, although there is only a continuity of road traffic, as the ring road and railway lines act as a barrier. There is a lack of transversal links (mountain-sea) that connect the city to the coast, on foot and by bike. The main theme is to give continuity and fluidity to the “vertical” routes with the “horizontal” routes of the coastal corridor, addressing above all the crossroads and the points of contact and intersection between the two routes. It is a case of the making public space for movement and relaxation the more continuous and easily accessible. The rationale of these projects is to physically determine and signpost the routes of public spaces, accessible on foot or by bicycle, that lead from the city to the sea and vice versa.
In order to improve the connectivity between the Olympic Port and Vila Olímpica, the proposal is to promote two main connecting axes: the La Marina axis and the Vila Olímpica - Moll de Gregal axis. The Moll de la Marina and the arrival of the La Marina axis to the sea must create a large area for pedestrians, with traffic calming measures in the area closest to the two towers in order to guarantee services and accessibility. The space in the pedestrian area is also to be improved: to achieve this, the ramps leading to the port and the exit ramp from the car park will be removed and replaced by new ramps on Avinguda del Litoral. Regarding Vila Olímpica - Moll de Gregal, public space actions are proposed to give continuity and improve the access to the Municipal Sailing Centre by creating a pedestrian walkway in the form of a promenade that leads to the breakwater.
What are we doing?
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Construction work on the new access point facilitating a direct connection between Olympic Port, Avinguda del Litoral and the Olympic Village neighbourhood has concluded. This is a new road for pedestrians and vehicles that will eliminate barriers and slopes, providing continuity with the Vila Olímpica neighbourhood and the port itself. Relocating the press kiosks so that they do not face each other.
