motorway
Funny thing, someone said, Belladonna I think, about how fast the motorway was constructed. Locals here think the opposite, it was scheduled to be finished weeks ago, and has caused a lot of inconvenience while being constructed.
One Mallorquin told me that many feel if this construction team were working in he uSA they would need a century to complete a motorway, it's not as if they have had to blast there way through mountains or construct tunnels. There was very little clearing to be done of what was basically flat land.
However, having said that, and noting that "locals" were divided over the "Autovia NO" issue (not just depending on whether it messed up there back yard, but more often on when environmental issues clashed with a mix of safety/"progress" factors, I have to say that personally I think the new motorway is great, I don't have to negotiate so many roundabouts to get to Al Campo, Palma or the airport, and the stretch from the Sa Pobla roundabout to Inca is, I think, a whole lot safer than the two lane, two-way highway with no margin for errors that existed before.
Not all that much extra land has been desecrated, more perhaps during construction than now. And nature is already claiming back much dug-up land, as the fields of poppies testify to.
Being able to drive along country roads, enjoying the scenery, relishing the sights and sounds, is great -- but not when you're late for work, need to get to a hospital appointment, or generally be doing anything other than being on holiday.