Construction chaos on Avinguda Diagonal: residents demand answers as metro expansion reaches critical phase

The jackhammers start before dawn on Avinguda Diagonal. By 6 a.m., residents in the surrounding blocks of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi have already endured hours of vibrations that rattle windows and shake coffee cups from kitchen tables. It's a scene that has become routine since the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority began the final phase of the L9 metro extension in March, but frustration among affected neighbours is reaching a breaking point.

The €850 million project, designed to connect the airport directly to Sant Adrià, promises long-term benefits. Yet for the 12,000 residents living within a 200-metre radius of the construction zone, the present reality is far grimmer. Small businesses along the avenue report a 40% drop in foot traffic, while noise levels regularly exceed 85 decibels—well above the 70-decibel limit established in Barcelona's municipal noise ordinance.

Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Residents' Association, which has mobilised over 1,800 members since construction began, has become the primary voice challenging the city's approach. "We weren't properly consulted," says a spokesperson for the group, which has filed formal complaints with the municipal ombudsman's office. "The city presented this as a done deal, not a conversation."

The group's concerns extend beyond noise. Property valuations in the area have stalled, while the promised 24-hour air quality monitoring stations were never installed. Meanwhile, access to iconic local venues—including the Monestir de Pedralbes and the historic shops along Carrer Major—has become hazardous, with temporary barriers forcing pedestrians into narrow, poorly lit diversions.

Barcelona's Urban Mobility Plan acknowledged these challenges would be "significant but temporary," with completion projected for 2028. Yet temporary has now stretched into its sixteenth month, with recent reports suggesting further delays due to unforeseen geological complications near the Bonanova station area.

Community organisers have demanded several concrete measures: independent acoustic monitoring with real-time public reporting, a compensation fund for affected businesses, and monthly public assemblies with transport authority officials. They've also requested that the city renegotiate working hours, limiting heavy machinery operation to 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The tension reflects a broader Barcelona debate about growth versus livability. While expansion advocates point to the 45 million annual passengers the completed L9 is expected to carry, residents ask a pointed question: who bears the cost of progress?

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