Key square in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, gets a makeover with anti-slip surface for pedestrians

The Plaza de España in PALMA receives a reform of 2.5 million euros that includes the renewal of the underground sewage system that dates from 1945.

Work began on Thursday with the digging of trenches to access cables and service pipes.

Pedestrians will feel a difference underfoot as the square tiles, which break easily and cause slipping, are being replaced by stronger tiles that cover 8,100 square metres.

The mayor of Palma, José Hila, said: “We have been waiting 20 years for this work to begin, which will take a year to complete.”

“In addition to the new pavement, we will fix the fountain and improve the garden areas and street furniture,” he added.

He also promised that all the trees in the area would be protected.

After a few weeks of trenching, the main body of work will get underway in March along with the inevitable outage.

Palma City Council will meet with all the affected groups, such as market vendors, as well as hotel business owners and residents, to inform them about working hours.

The work will be carried out in five phases with the last one starting in July.