We have seen big changes to the roads from the Manifesto Design office in the fifteen years that we have been in the Guadalmina Commercial Centre. Every summer, local residents have faced traffic jams and bottlenecks due to the increased traffic flow, especially on the stretch of road between Puerto Banús and San Pedro Alcántara.
The situation was improved greatly when the N340 coastal road was diverted under the town, however during peak season the two lanes to and from this area become overwhelmed with sheer volume of traffic.
The project was welcomed by locals who campaigned for these works to be carried out and brought about a diminution in traffic in this area, but now further improvements are urgently needed.
The Costa del Sol exceeded all visitor records this year, with over seven million tourists visiting the area in the summer, seven percent more than in 2016. According to the data provided by Fomento (Ministry of Development), the area sees 90,000 vehicles circulating daily, with a high rate of accidents per year – over fifty victims in the past decade alone.
So the news that Fomento has announced a project with the aim of further alleviating the traffic problems has been very well received. With a budget close to €18 million, the works will be carried out on the stretch of the A-7 coastal road that runs between Puerto Banús and San Pedro.
The main objective is to improve circulation and road safety, with the construction of a third lane as well as pedestrian footbridges. It was also announced that a long-awaited pedestrian footbridge is to be built to connect Nueva Andalucía to Puerto Banús too.
It is also expected that a project will be put forward to ease congestion in East Marbella, on the stretch of the coast road A-7 that passes by the Costa del Sol Hospital.
-Pamela Sauca-