Spanish government approves plans for A-7 motorway junction on eastern Costa del Sol

The completion of the semi-junction of the A-7 Mediterranean motorway as it passes through Caleta de Vélez (Vélez-Málaga) on the eastern Costa del Sol is still pending more than twenty years after this section was opened. Over the last decade, there have been successive announcements of budget allocations, but the work has not yet been carried out.

However, in May 2023, Spain’s central government awarded the contract for the drafting of a new project and now, just over two years later, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has provisionally approved the route design to improve traffic on the A-7 motorway as it passes through this area of Vélez-Málaga.

The aim is to convert the semi-junction at kilometre 951, near Caleta de Vélez, into a full junction, for which the estimated budget is 6.6 million euros, including IVA sales tax, compared to the 4.3 million initially envisaged.

The project will soon be submitted for public consultation and the corresponding announcement in Spain’s Official State Bulletin (BOE), according to a statement issued by the Ministry on Monday 29 September. This project forms part of the state road network conservation and maintenance programme, in which the ministry has invested more than 77 million euros since June 2018 in Malaga province alone.

“The Spanish government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in the province is reflected in the various investments that are already planned, as detailed by the minister, Óscar Puente, at a conference held this summer in Malaga and those that are already underway, such as the modernisation of various tunnels on the A-7 motorway at a cost of 16 million,” a government statement said.

The current Caleta de Vélez junction has two branches, a crossroad and an underpass when coming from Malaga city towards Almeria, but no exit on the other side, heading towards Malaga. The new project involves the construction of two new branches that will allow vehicles to join the motorway towards Almeria, as well as exit it when coming from Malaga. The branches will be completed with roundabouts, one on each side of the motorway, thus completing the junction “with a diamond-shaped layout” according to the statement.