The provisional project for the expansion of the AP-4, which currently includes a third lane between Dos Hermanas and Las Cabezas de San Juan, is not final. The central Executive has committed to considering proposals to extend this improvement to Cádiz, a long-standing demand to foster economic development in Baja Andalucía.
Since the toll removal in 2020, the highway has experienced a significant increase in traffic, particularly heavy vehicles, leading to daily congestion and affecting its maintenance. The Regional Government of Andalusia and the Seville Chamber of Commerce have reiterated the need to resolve these issues impacting the connection between the two provinces.
The delegate of the Government in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, has shown receptiveness to these concerns. In statements to La Ser radio, he assured that "all allegations submitted by administrations, associations, or individuals will be technically studied before approving the final solution." He added that "currently, it is a provisional project subject to public information," which opens the door for potential improvements.
The current proposal is based on technical criteria, but requests from the Regional Government and the business sector could influence the final project. Traffic on the AP-4 has increased by 50% since 2019, and truck usage has tripled, with an average of 85,000 vehicles daily, causing congestion and affecting the road's condition.
The Minister of Public Works and Mobility of the Regional Government, Mario Muñoz-Atanet, lamented the accumulated delay in the procedures, which began more than six years after the toll was removed. The file, after the provisional approval of the technical document and environmental impact study, will be submitted for public information, followed by environmental processing and the drafting of the construction project.
As a provisional measure due to the process's slowness, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has enabled a three-kilometer third lane during summer weekends. The initial third lane project, overseen by the ministry of Óscar Puente, would be 34.4 kilometers long with an investment of 225 million euros.
