MáLAGA – For many years, the mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre (PP), has been promoting the idea of connecting the Axarquía with the Costa del Sol with a new highway, thereby increasing accessibility within the province from east to west.
The new highway should relieve the existing roads around the city of Málaga – especially those in the east. It will also improve the connection between the eastern and western regions of the province. The current plan concerns 15 municipalities, including Málaga itself, which have to reserve land for the bypass.
New bypass
Hence meetings are already taking place between representatives of the municipal council and of the various municipalities in the interior. Malaga is asking the concerned mayors to reserve the land already in the planning stage. So that when the Ministry of Development decides to build the new bypass, the process is already at an advanced stage. Therefore, it can be carried out quickly.
“There have already been four meetings: one with Alhaurín el Grande, another with Cártama, one with Coín and one last with Almogía,” the Councillor of Territorial Planning, Raúl López, emphasised in the newspaper La Opinión de Málaga. “The high-capacity highway will be good for the Guadalhorce Valley and fits in with the ideas of the 27th Expo, which foresee Málaga’s growth extending to the surrounding municipalities because there will come a time when Málaga within the current municipal boundaries will not more can grow. For example, many people from Rincón de la Victoria come to the city every day. And many people go to live in the municipalities that surround the city.”
Full roads as a brake on economic growth
Experts believe that lack of action in this area will reduce the region’s capacity for economic growth. The municipalities concerned are: Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín El Grande, Almogía, Álora, Cártama, Coín, Fuengirola, Marbella, Mijas, Moclinejo, Monda, Ojén, Pizarra, Rincón de la Victoria, Totalán, Vélez-Málaga and the capital (there are 17). The Junta de Andalucia and the Provincial Council have also already supported the project.
There are several proposals for the new road and others that can be completed. In November 2017, the preference of those involved was to connect the coastal town of Chilches over a distance of 28.7 kilometres with the Hiperronda that runs past the capital. This part A would cost 450 million euros.
Tunnel through Sierra de Mijas
Then a second part would pass through Cártama and Alhaurín de la Torre and reach Fuengirola via a three kilometres tunnel through the Sierra de Mijas. This part would be 21.7 kilometres long for an investment of 314 million euros.
Implementing both road sections would cost a total of approximately €765 million. The work, including study and work, to link Málaga with Axarquía would take between eight and ten years.
