Ferrovial Agroman places the first stone for new AP7 motorway link at Benalmádena, Málaga

On 6 July, Íñigo de la Serna, Spain’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation, presided the act of laying the first stone for the future link of the AP7 motorway at its exit to Arroyo de la Miel in Benalmádena (Málaga). This link will be built by Ferrovial Agroman for the Spanish Roads Directorate in a project worth more than 10 million euros. The Minister was accompanied by Antonio Sanz, Government Representative in Andalucía; Miguel Briones, Deputy Representative for Málaga; Celia Villalobos and Carolina España, members of parliament from Málaga; Elías Bendodo, Head of the Provincial Council; Margarita del Cid, president of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Region of the Costa del Sol, and the deputy mayors of Benalmádena and Torremolinos, Javier Marín and Maribel Tocón, respectively, in addition to a numerous group of councillors and company representatives. On behalf of Ferrovial Agroman, present at the event were Ángel Luis Sánchez, Director of Construction Area I; Juan Lozano, Director of Civil Works for Spain and Portugal; Alberto Torres, Director for Andalucía, Ceuta and Melilla; and Javier Torroja, Works Manager, amongst others. The project will expand the capacity of the existing link connecting the AP7 motorway with the town of Benalmádena, and includes the construction of a 60-metre radius roundabout, two underpasses, extension of an existing underpass, and 700 m of retaining walls. All of which adds up to 2.7 km of roads, plus a further 3.6 km for side roads and additional lanes to overcome the traffic problems which arise every day at this main access road into the city. Moreover, sound absorbing surfacing will be used and 876 metres of noise barriers will be installed, given the proximity of local and tourist residential developments. Works are expected to last 51 months and will provide a solution to current traffic problems at this busy junction, used daily by more than 15,000 vehicles in what has become the main access road into Benalmádena. The project is a continuation of the works carried out by Ferrovial Agroman on behalf of CINTRA on the Costa del Sol motorway between 1997 and 2003, connecting the toll road with the national road and building access routes to the Benalmádena area via a 29 km stretch up to the ring road and the addition of 3 lanes on the ring road over a 15 kilometre stretch, amongst other works.