7 June 2014
The Axarquia region will finally be connected to Granada City by motorway from the first week of July, after the opening of the last section of road, which is a distance of almost eight kilometers long, and has been undergoing construction for several years now. Santiago Perez, deputy of the Government in Granada spoke about the status of construction works between Taramay in Almuñécar, and Lobres, in the town limits of Salobreña.
The connection between the A-44 and the town of Almuñécar in Granada province was the final stretch of motorway to complete in order to link Madrid with the Costa del Sol via Nerja. The central government indicated a few months ago that when their legislature started, they found this stretch of 7.7 kilometers “completed only to 23%”. Once opened, it will allow the use of the 2.3 kilometers road stretch between Lobres and Guadalfeo, which was completed three years ago now.
The Ministry of Development also stated that the Autovía del Mediterráneo as it passes through Granada and Autovía del Cantábrico are the only two that, despite widespread budget cuts have not suffered any restrictions in recent years. In the case of the section that will allow the connection between Nerja and Granada with a double lane highway in each direction, it was one of the few that remained to join Algeciras with Girona by motorway.
Granada’s coast topography was a major drawback in order to finish within the set deadlines that were set in the development of the construction of the motorway that will allow the road connection of the provinces of Malaga and Almeria. In fact, construction will continue this summer in several stretches of road between Motril and Adra. Difficulties in the execution of the roads’ construction has forced the project to go over budget. The five sections pending opening presently have a budget of 383 million euros -80 million budgeted for the section which opens in July-, and due to additions, modifications and unforeseen problems this amount will exceed a whopping 800 million euros.
