The hustle and bustle of concrete mixers in Vallbona is incessant. Vehicles constantly cross the neighborhood to fill the sinkhole that swallowed a large crane during the Montcada undergrounding works. This is the emergency measure being applied by the Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif) after the ground unexpectedly opened up on Wednesday at noon without causing any injuries, but setting off all alarms.
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The first hypotheses point to the groundwater of the Rec Comtal as the cause of the landslide, according to sector sources. In this sense, residents recall how it was common for water to spring up in that area, which used to be a park and is now where the tunnel for trains will be built when the railway is buried. For his part, the Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano, chooses to be cautious and considers it “premature” to point to any specific cause yet.
The concrete injection will continue 24 hours a day until Saturday. That’s when the evolution of the sinkhole will be communicated. “Every minute that passes, we are guaranteeing the stabilization of the ground,” assured Santano, who has once again had to be the one to face the crisis.
No cracks in the nearest homes
Despite seeing the sinkhole from their house windows, residents remain calm. The devices monitoring any movement in their buildings have not detected any. No cracks or worrying signs have appeared in their homes either. The real concern for residents like Juan and Vicky is the nuisance caused by the incessant noise and dust from the concrete mixers since yesterday afternoon to fill the void.
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The City Council will set up a resident service point this afternoon at the Vallbona neighborhood community center, where Adif and City Council staff will provide relevant explanations to residents who want to better understand what happened.
Lines R2 and R11 will remain cut until next week
Train service will not be restored, at the earliest, until next week. Until then, line R2 will remain cut between Montcada and Sant Andreu, and R11 will only run from Granollers northwards. The alternative for travelers is to walk in Montcada i Reixac to connect with R4 to continue their journey.
