Residents of three buildings in Barcelona's El Putxet neighbourhood will not be able to return to their homes until early 2027, the Generalitat de Catalunya has confirmed, citing complex ground consolidation following a sinkhole linked to L9 metro line construction.
The regional government's Director General of Mobility Infrastructures, Ramon Ramírez, announced the extended timeline during a press briefing on 28 August 2026. While 54 homes across four of the eight affected buildings have already been cleared for reoccupation, 33 homes and eight businesses remain evacuated.
Residents at Teodora Lamadrid 5, comprising 15 homes and one commercial unit, are expected to return within six weeks, by mid-October 2026. However, those in buildings at Teodora Lamadrid 3, Rubinstein 2, and Rubinstein 4 face a significantly longer displacement.
Technical Work Delays Rehousing
The delay is attributed to the need to stabilise the subsurface and to move the stalled tunnel boring machine approximately 20 metres away from the vertical alignment of the residential buildings. This operation cannot proceed while residents are inside.
After this month of many hours of cement injection, more or less we can make an estimate of the time it will take us to first consolidate all the ground.
Ramírez explained that continuous 24-hour cement injection has been underway since the eight-metre-long, four-metre-deep cavity formed on 7 July 2026 in an interior courtyard. The Generalitat has ruled out a direct link to a crack detected at Rubinstein 2 at the end of July.
Technical teams continue monitoring data from auscultation and movement control systems installed on the affected buildings. The head of mobility confirmed that the situation is currently stable.
L9 Completion Pushed to 2027
The incident has delayed completion of the central section of the L9 metro line, which will now not be finished until 2027, according to the Generalitat's public works plan reported by Catalan News. The nearly 30-kilometre tunnel is now just one kilometre from reaching Lesseps station.
Once the ground is fully stabilised and the machine relocated, technicians will conduct a retro-analysis to determine the exact causes of the sinkhole. Work protocols and control measures will be reviewed before drilling resumes.
Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition Sílvia Paneque has acknowledged that compensation for affected residents and businesses will be considered, stating the administration will do “whatever it takes” to address economic losses and rehousing expenses.
Reported by cope.es, catalannews.com, ARA, diaricatalunya.cat, rtve.es, okdiario.com, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, ACN, en.ara.cat.
