Eix Transversal

C-25 or Eix Transversal (English: Transversal Arterial Road^[1]; lit. Transversal Axis) is a 280 km long primary highway in Catalonia, Spain. It crosses the Catalan Transversal Range mountaineous region, communicating the northern end of the Catalan Coastal Depression with the Catalan Central Depression.^[2]

According to the current coding for highways managed by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the first number C-25 indicates that is mainly a west-eastbound highway, and the second number C-25 indicates that is the fifth southernmost. The road begins at the intersection with Autovía A-2, near Cervera (comarca of Segarra), and finishes at Cassà de la Selva (comarca of Gironès), with a total length of 141 km.

History

The last section of the C-25 to be constructed was finished on December 1997. The main aims of the construction of this highway were:

• to provide a high-speed alternative way for road traffic between Northeastern Catalonia (Girona, Figueres, La Jonquera...) and Western Catalonia (Lleida, Cervera...) and Aragón, avoiding the often congested Barcelona metropolitan region

• to provide a high-speed connection for Central Catalonia's main towns (Vic, Manresa, Ripoll, etc.), between them as well as with Northeastern and the Western Catalonia

• generally speaking, to create an "orbital route" in what in those days was mainly a radial network with its center in the city of Barcelona, i.e. a road network radiating out from Barcelona.

Despite these aims, the highway was built as a single-lane road and not as a freeway, and soon it was proved to become insufficient for the traffic supported ^[3].

On 2007 the Generalitat de Catalunya approved the upgrading of the highway to a freeway, which started on 2008 and is expected to be completed on 2011 ^[4].

Exits

Exit no. 132: Prison of Sant Joan, Sant Joan de Vilatorrada Centre, Manresa University Zone (8th), Ring roads of Manresa (C-16, C-55, C-25).

Exit no. 136: Santpedor, Manresa North, Ring roads of Manresa (C-16, C-55, C-25).

Exit no. 180: Vic North, Road C-17

Exit no. 182: Vic Centre, Manlleu

Exit no. 183: Roda de Ter, M.O.T. Vehicles Test

Exit no. 187: Sant Julià de Vilatorta, Calldetenes

See also

• Catalan Transversal Range
• Autovía A-2
• List of primary highways in Catalonia

References

1. ^ "Modernization of the transport system and social facilities". InfoCatalunya bulletin of the Generalitat of Catalonia. http://www.gencat.cat/generalitat/eng/govern/infocatalunya/12_infocat/03.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
2. ^ L'eix transversal de Catalunya, by Societat Catalana d'Ordenació Territorial, Institut d'Estudis Catalans
3. ^ Eix Transversal accumulates almost one death per km during its seven-years life (in Catalan)
4. ^ Agreement inside the Generalitat de Catalunya for the starting of the Eix Transversal's upgrade to freeway (in Catalan)