Traffic Chaos in Palma: Truck Spills Cement Bags on the Ring Road

Major morning traffic jam: Cement in the air and cars at a crawl

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Anyone who left early via Via de Cintura toward the airport stayed stuck longer than planned. Around 08:15 a.m., a truck transitioning to the airport motorway dropped several bags of cement — the fine powder immediately rose as a gray cloud and blocked the right lane.

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Drivers report reduced visibility, honking cars and braking maneuvers. "You could hardly see five meters," says a taxi driver from El Terreno as he rolled past the closure. A bus, which normally runs every ten minutes, arrived at the terminus with almost 40 minutes of delay. Commuters with flights looked visibly nervous.

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Recovery crew, Guardia Civil and road maintenance in action

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Within a short time, the local road maintenance, the Guardia Civil and a towing service arrived. Workers shoveled sacks together, a sweepers swept the roadway, and a special machine sprayed water to dampen the dust. Nevertheless, the right lane remained closed until about 10:30 a.m.— the consequence: long queues in both directions.

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Particularly affected were the commuters from Palma-Nord and travelers to the airport. Several people tried to take alternative routes via Avenida Gabriel Roca or the Port Street, which caused additional traffic there. A delivery driver swore: "I had a meeting at nine, I only arrived at eleven."

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The cause of the accident is still under investigation: apparently a pallet load was not properly secured. Such cases remind us how quickly a single loose load can disrupt morning traffic, especially on bottlenecks like the main feeder to the airport.

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No injuries, but effects on the air

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Fortunately, no one was injured. The main concern was the fine cement dust: pedestrians with sensitive airways left the area, and some residents later reported mild coughing. The road maintenance emphasized that after cleaning, measurements were planned to check for possible contamination.

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In the afternoon, the Guardia Civil conducted interviews with the driver and documented the incident. Those still on the road today should allow a little extra time or, if possible, switch to later connections.

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A tip from experience: If you regularly have to go to the airport, it makes sense to plan an extra thirty minutes — especially at bottlenecks like the ring road.

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We will keep you updated if new information about the cause or traffic changes becomes available.