The C-31 bridge in Badalona is sealed with concrete blocks after the settlement is cleared

Badalona City Council has placed 25 concrete blocks beneath the C-31 bridge. The space, previously occupied by homeless people, is now inaccessible. The measure seeks to prevent incidents involving vehicles and changes the use of the area. Police surveillance remains in place.

The transformation of one of Badalona's most sensitive locations directly affects those who travel or live near the C-31 bridge. Badalona City Council has installed 25 concrete blocks in the lowest area of the viaduct, precisely where, until a few days ago, there was a homeless encampment. Access has been completely blocked, altering the usual use of the space and creating new dynamics in the area.

The encampment was cleared on 24 March, on the grounds that the area needed to be cleaned and disinfected. At the time, the council said the measure would be temporary, as the products used could be toxic and people would not be able to remain there for several days. However, the situation has changed: now, the placement of the concrete blocks, known as “new jersey” blocks, prevents any access to the area where the tents and belongings of homeless people had previously been located.

The council, led by Xavier Garcia Albiol, explains that the decision responds to the need to prevent vehicles from reaching the lowest part of the bridge, a space with very limited height where previous incidents had already occurred. Meanwhile, the rest of the viaduct continues to be used as an improvised car park, but the blocked area remains out of use. The Guardia Urbana maintains a permanent patrol at the site, reinforcing surveillance since the start of the disinfection.

The change is clear: where there was once an encampment, only the concrete blocks and an impossible point of access now remain. The urban landscape beneath the C-31 is being redefined, and coexistence at this point in Badalona is taking an unexpected turn.

The C-31 motorway is one of the main routes into and out of Badalona, connecting the city with Barcelona and the metropolitan area. Beneath its bridges, spaces are often used as informal car parks or, at times, as shelter for homeless people. Managing these places presents constant challenges for the municipal authorities, who must balance safety, mobility and social care in an urban environment in permanent transformation.

Full context (1 Apr 2026): Post-B9 mass-eviction (300 people Dec 2025), ~30 homeless people to C-31. Blocks prevent resettlement (unsanitary conditions: rats/biohazards). Opposition criticises lack of social resources. Attempted relocation to Sant Adrià failed. 24/7 patrol.