Picos: Hermida Gorge

paul08

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A heads up for anyone heading to the Picos.

We are off there soon and just had a message from the hotel that we will be staying in in Potes:

"The Hermida Gorge that you drive through between Panes and Potes is undergoing a huge transformation with the replacement of the 4 bridges and the addition of more netting to protect vehicles from falling rocks. Particularly useful if you drive an open top car or m'bike! This requires the road to be closed at certain times of the day for the next five weeks on a Monday to Friday basis.

Closure will be from midnight to 13:00hrs daily. The closures will only affect you if you decide to drive down to the coast but there are alternative routes we can discuss when you are here and of course you can return via the gorge after 13:00hrs."
 
Heading and staying in Potes from the 4th June so interested in any dates and duration. Did they provide any more detail ?

Cheers
 
Heading and staying in Potes from the 4th June so interested in any dates and duration. Did they provide any more detail ?

Cheers

Exactly how much more information than that posted above could you need ????
 
That's all I know: he said "for the next 5 weeks', which would take us to end of June. I assume they will make a big effort to get it finished before the 'summer season' starts
 
That's all I know: he said "for the next 5 weeks', which would take us to end of June. I assume they will make a big effort to get it finished before the 'summer season' starts

Many thanks, wasn't sure of the start date of the closure hence my question. Googled Hermida gorge road closure but nothing came up.

Really appreciate the heads up as I haven't heard anything from the hotel where I am staying.

Thanks again
 
It's a PITA to ride anyway cause you can barely get past any traffic in front of you.

Absolutely sport on the Hermida Gorge is pants - and always will be IMHO as it's full of tourist coaches going up and down for day trips from the coastal resorts.

You can see major road works, blockages on-line here: http://infocar.dgt.es/etraffic/

Regs

Simon
 
Heading and staying in Potes from the 4th June so interested in any dates and duration. Did they provide any more detail ?

Cheers

The advice is for everyone to cancel their holiday, sell their bike and enter a convent.
 
Absolutely sport on the Hermida Gorge is pants - and always will be IMHO as it's full of tourist coaches going up and down for day trips from the coastal resorts.

You can see major road works, blockages on-line here: http://infocar.dgt.es/etraffic/

Regs

Simon

Simon, many thanks for the info on the road works site.

Agree with you about the Hermida gorge being pants. It just serves a purpose getting to Potes and other places.

I spend a fair amount of my working time in UK traffic jams so if I can avoid traffic on a biking break any info is useful.

The last thing I need, if I take heed of advice given by some, is to be late for the convent.

Thanks again

Pete
 
Rode through there a couple of times in the last week. All was fine. They had some unsurfaced graveled crossings and the new bridge on one crossing is being built parallel to existing crossing.

Think you will be ok but things could change. They seem to be making sure access is ok though
 
It was mid September I rode it last year, PITA.



I imagine that there will be temporary traffic lights along various stretches of that route and that will add to the PITA-ness of it so AVOID, AVOID, AVOID.

Eastern Asturias/western Cantabria is always going to be the more transitted area in the summer. If you add roadworks to the mix, then it just becomes less of a joy, for sure.

Quite why they couldn't have programmed this work in the winter months (or even the Spring months) is beyond me, but it doesn't surprise me. They do the same in the UK; major roadworks needed? Oh, yes, let's do it on a bank holiday weekend when there will be the most movement of cars and fuck up everybody's holiday plans.

For SA the road in question is the N625 between Panes and Potes.

If you want a good alternative route (but 4 times longer) is the AS114 to Cangas, north on the N625 to the LE2711/LE2703 (watch out for: cowshit on the LE's, and go easy on parts of the N625 where it is castellateted because the busses need the whole road and you can get nasty surprises - ok if you go easy, though) and then join the N621 to go to Potes from the south.
 
Quite why they couldn't have programmed this work in the winter months (or even the Spring months) is beyond me, but it doesn't surprise me. They do the same in the UK; major roadworks needed? Oh, yes, let's do it on a bank holiday weekend when there will be the most movement of cars and fuck up everybody's holiday plans.
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a) They get a fair bit of snow in the Picos in the winter.

b) Would you fancy dangling on the end of a rope installing rock anchors (for the netting etc) in mid-winter?

c) You cannot easily lay concrete in freezing weather.

d) The bridges in question go over rivers that I am guessing may well be in full spate in winter storms


It does look as if they have done their best to timetable the works to minimise disruption to both locals and the increased summer tourist traffic
 
a) They get a fair bit of snow in the Picos in the winter.

b) Would you fancy dangling on the end of a rope installing rock anchors (for the netting etc) in mid-winter?

c) You cannot easily lay concrete in freezing weather.

d) The bridges in question go over rivers that I am guessing may well be in full spate in winter storms


It does look as if they have done their best to timetable the works to minimise disruption to both locals and the increased summer tourist traffic

I think the locals would disagree with you on that. The mayor has presented a complaint because the locals and he were given a weeks notice. They are suggesting that the works should be carried out in November or Jan - Mar. http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/region/liebana/hosteleros-vecinos-lebaniegos-20180427215031-ntvo.html

I take your point and I imagine that the short notice period was deliberate. I'm also (in most cases anyway) a great believer in doing these things "The French Way". i.e., it needs doing, it's for everyones benefit, NIMBY's piss off! Consultation periods, as we well know in the UK, can be burdensome, end up costing the state more money and rarely produce a better outcome in the end.

In any case it's academic because they have started the work and the prospect of losing business or inconveniencing a few commuters is unlikely to change anything now.
 
It’ll be great when it’s finished, Brit’s can then stop arguing the toss over Spanish road closures and improvements.
 


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