Álava opens the public consultation for the noise plan for its provincial roads

Citizens can now consult the full content of the “Action Plan against Road Noise of the Foral Network of the Historical Territory of Álava. Compliance with Law 37/2003 and Decree 213/2012. Phase 4 of Directive 2002/49/EC. Period 2025-2029”. This Friday, September 18, 2026, in issue number 107, the Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA) publishes the announcement from the Department of Sustainable Mobility and Road Infrastructure of the Provincial Council of Álava opening public access to the document. The plan was definitively approved by Agreement 547/2026, dated August 4, of the Foral Government Council.

The announcement recalls that Agreement 547/2026 was already published in the BOTHA of August 17, 2026 (number 93), and that its content complies with Law 37/2003, of November 17, on Noise, Decree 213/2012, and phase 4 of Directive 2002/49/EC. The text was signed in Vitoria-Gasteiz on September 10, 2026, by the Foral Deputy for Sustainable Mobility and Road Infrastructure, Jon Nogales Prieto.

A plan processed over nine months

The process began with Agreement No. 772 of the Foral Government Council, dated December 16, 2025, which provisionally approved the plan and opened a consultation period with the affected city councils and a public information process. On December 23, 2025, the agreement was communicated to all involved city councils, along with the documentation of the provisional plan.

The public information period extended for one month from the publication of the announcement in the BOTHA of December 26, 2025, and in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV) of January 16, 2026, in accordance with article 19 of Decree 213/2012. The definitive approval corresponds to Agreement 547/2026, dated August 4, signed by the General Deputy, Ramiro González Vicente, and by Jon Nogales Prieto.

Allegations from city councils and residents

During the consultation and public information period, written submissions were presented, which the Roads Service reported on and which the plan resolved:

• Belén Pérez de Urrutia Fernández de Troconiz, spokesperson for EH Bildu Arratzua-Ubarrundia, requested measurements in Zurbano and Artzubiaga that consider the wind variable and their possible inclusion as Priority Action Zones.
• The Armiñón City Council and the Labastida City Council submitted technical reports without objections to the plan.
• The Mayor of Legutio requested more corrective measures for the ZAP Legutio Centro and the study of alternatives for non-prioritized zones.
• The Mayor of Laudio/Llodio demanded the reconsideration of the A-3638 road as a Priority Action Zone.
• The Mayor of San Millán/Donemiliaga positively valued the acoustic screen planned for the nucleus of Egilatz.
• The President of the Amurrio City Council demanded the recognition of regulatory non-compliance within its municipal term and the inclusion of the affected sections among the priority zones.
• The Arratzua-Ubarrundia City Council questioned the correspondence between the exposed population and the homes affected by the Acoustic Easement Zone.
• Ignacio Urtaran Rueda and Minerva González Coca, residents of Ribabellosa, requested the identification of Venta el Bullón, the installation of acoustic barriers or sound-absorbing pavements, and the limitation of nighttime speed.

The submissions from Legutio, Laudio/Llodio, Amurrio, and Arratzua-Ubarrundia, as well as those from the residents and the EH Bildu spokesperson, were reported on by TECNALIA, the specialized company that drafted the plan; additionally, a detailed acoustic study was prepared for Laudio/Llodio.

Where to consult the document

The content of the plan can be examined during public office hours at the Roads Service of the Department of Sustainable Mobility and Road Infrastructure of the Provincial Council of Álava, at Plaza de la Provincia, number 4, fourth floor, Vitoria-Gasteiz. It is also available on the Open Government Portal of the Provincial Council of Álava (https://irekia.araba.eus).

The resolution is final in administrative proceedings. An administrative appeal may be filed before the Administrative Court of Vitoria-Gasteiz within two months, or an optional appeal for reversal before the same body within one month.

The plan directly affects the residents of the sections of the provincial network included in its scope, who will now have complete information regarding the areas declared as priority and the measures planned to reduce traffic noise until 2029.

Source: Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA), no. 107, September 18, 2026, section I - General Assemblies of Álava and Provincial Administration of the Historical Territory of Álava, page 1 (official reference: 2026-02633).