Xàbia Prepares for Casa Candelaria Works: Traffic Plans Announced for Historic Centre
Residents and businesses are briefed on alternative routes and parking arrangements ahead of 14 months of renovation works.
Xàbia Council hosted an information meeting this week for residents and business owners in the historic centre, particularly those on Calle Roques and traders at the indoor market and Plaza de la Iglesia. Held in the Sala Polivalente del Portal del Clot, the session was led by Mayor Rosa Cardona and Local Police Chief José Antonio Monfort, joined by members of the town council.
The meeting focused on traffic disruptions caused by the upcoming renovations of Casa Candelaria (also known as Casa dels Xolbi) and proposed measures to minimise the impact. The works, expected to last around 14 months, will begin with demolition and structural support tasks. These initial stages will require a partial closure of Calle Roques for roughly a year, affecting both residents and drivers who normally use the street as a shortcut through the town. According to local police, Calle Roques sees an average of 186 vehicles per hour, of which only about 20 actually enter the plaza.
To ease the disruption and keep the historic centre moving, several solutions have been proposed. From mid-October, Calle Roques will be closed to through traffic, with signage from the Dénia road roundabout directing vehicles to alternative routes toward the port, Arenal, and the Freginal and Thiviers neighbourhoods, helping prevent congestion on Ronda Norte and Príncipe de Asturias.
To avoid bottlenecks on the narrow Camí de la Soberana, the street’s direction may be temporarily reversed to act as an exit toward the Dénia roundabout, with access limited to residents.
Residents will be able to enter Calle Roques via Portal del Clot, but only up to Calle Llotgeta, where they will need to turn around and exit via Calle Espartería. Access will be restricted to loading, unloading, or garage entry. Additional parking spaces will be created for merchants and delivery vehicles.
The bus stop in Ronda Norte will be relocated to Cruz Roja, while the normal stop will become a controlled parking area with one-hour limits for shoppers, overseen by a parking attendant to ensure turnover. The final stretch of Calle Calvario will also have regulated parking to improve availability. Meanwhile, the police are evaluating ways to allow heavy goods vehicles to reach the indoor market and Plaza de la Iglesia without disrupting traffic.
Depending on how effective these arrangements prove, the town may extend similar measures to other streets, such as Príncipe de Asturias, to optimise traffic flow throughout the historic centre during the renovation period.
Adapted from an original article published in Xàbia.com: Obras Casa Candelaria Xàbia: conoce las nuevas medidas y afecciones de tráfico en el centro histórico
