Traffic diverts agricultural vehicles from the Ribadesella bridge via the A-8

The General Directorate of Traffic has authorized the circulation of special agricultural vehicles and their combinations on the A-8 highway between the Llovio (km 319) and Pando/Bones (km 326) junctions, due to the traffic closure of the section of the N-634 known as the Ribadesella Bridge. The measure is published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias no. 210, dated October 29, 2026, in section III (State Administration), by resolution dated October 27, 2026, from the Provincial Traffic Headquarters of Asturias (reference 2026-08937). The alternative itinerary will be mandatory for the duration of the closure, which began on October 26, 2026, and which, according to the forecasts in the gazette itself, will extend until March 2027.

The origin of the decision is the structural and functional rehabilitation works of the bridge over the Sella river, located at kilometer point 3 of the N-632, in the municipality of Ribadesella. The intervention includes the replacement of the existing deck span by span using high-tonnage cranes that must be positioned on the roadway itself, making it unfeasible to maintain vehicle passage. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility requested the General Directorate of Traffic to enable the highway for these vehicles and thus guarantee their mobility during the months of construction.

The resolution is based on Article 37 of the General Circulation Regulations, approved by Royal Decree 1428/2003, of November 21, and Article 18 of the revised text of the Law on Traffic, Motor Vehicle Circulation and Road Safety, approved by Legislative Royal Decree 6/2015, of October 30. The Provincial Traffic Headquarters of Asturias justifies the special measures based on the “significant potential risks to road safety” generated by the combination of ordinary highway traffic with agricultural vehicles.

Mandatory itinerary and departure points

Special agricultural vehicles that, according to their usual itinerary, must cross the Ribadesella Bridge must mandatorily use the route established by the Provincial Traffic Headquarters of Asturias:

• Itinerary from Llovio to Pando/Bones: starting at the Llovio roundabout, at km 0+000 of the N-632, which has an oversized area for the safe temporary parking of special vehicles.
• Itinerary from Pando/Bones to Llovio: starting at the Bones park, accessed from the roundabout located at km 8+000 of the N-632.

Only Tuesdays and Thursdays, in closed time slots

The authorization is not continuous. The enabled days are exclusively Tuesdays and Thursdays, with preset departures in both directions:

• Morning schedule: outbound departures (Llovio–Pando) at 09:00 and 10:00 hours; return departures (Pando–Llovio) at 09:30 and 10:30 hours.
• Afternoon schedule: outbound departures at 13:00 and 14:00 hours; return departures at 13:30 and 14:30 hours.

The use of this itinerary is prohibited during the restricted periods of the Resolution of January 14, 2026, of the General Directorate of Traffic regarding special traffic regulation measures for 2026:

• All Saints’ Day special operation: from 15:00 hours on November 30 until 24:00 hours on November 2, according to the published text.
• Constitution and Immaculate Conception special operation: from 15:00 hours on December 4 to 24:00 hours on December 8.
• Christmas operation: from 15:00 hours on December 18 to 24:00 hours on January 6, 2027, with the exception of December 22 and 29.

The traffic authority may additionally restrict circulation for reasons of adverse weather or when conditions so advise.

Shoulder, convoys of three and 80 km/h limit

Regarding circulation conditions, agricultural vehicles, regardless of their maximum authorized mass, must travel on the shoulder as close as possible to the right edge of the roadway. They may do so individually or in a convoy of a maximum of three vehicles, accompanied by a pilot vehicle marked with the V-2 sign in accordance with Annex XI of the General Vehicle Regulations (Royal Decree 2822/1998), which will travel 50 meters behind the last vehicle. During the validity of the detour, the maximum speed on the affected sections of the A-8 will be limited to 80 km/h via variable signage, and variable message panels will warn of the presence of these vehicles on the shoulder.

The person in charge of the accompaniment must report the passage through the itinerary to the Northwest-Cantabrian Traffic Management Center, by telephone at 981.13.21.16, on the same day of circulation and before accessing the highway. The resolution, signed in Oviedo on October 27, 2026, by the Provincial Head of Traffic with the delegation of the Director General of Traffic, entered into force the day after its publication and will remain in effect until the end of the indicated period.

The detour affects the daily activity of farmers, transporters, and residents of the eastern region of Asturias: for at least five months, passage through the A-8 will not be free, but will require adjusting to two days a week, four departures per direction, limited convoys, and prior notice to the General Directorate of Traffic. Furthermore, the alternative is suspended during the busiest holiday weekends of the quarter, precisely when the road is most needed.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 210 of October 29, 2026, section III (State Administration), pages 1-2 (official reference: 2026-08937).