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Environmental Red Tape Delays MA-20 Highway Expansion Between Málaga and Torremolinos

The anticipated five-lane expansion of the MA-20 highway, vital for mobility on the Costa del Sol, is stalled in the environmental assessment process, exceeding its maximum timeframe.

Image of the MA-20 highway in Málaga with ongoing expansion works.
IA

Image of the MA-20 highway in Málaga with ongoing expansion works.

The expansion of the MA-20 highway, connecting Málaga and Torremolinos with five lanes, is experiencing a considerable delay in its environmental processing, now three months beyond the maximum nine-month period allocated for this procedure.

The MA-20 project, aiming to establish the first five-lane highway in Málaga, has encountered bureaucratic hurdles. The environmental management, initiated on April 15, 2025, was expected to conclude within nine months but has already accumulated a three-month delay. While such extensions are common, this delay impacts crucial infrastructure for the region.
The total investment for this project amounts to 190 million euros, allocated for expanding the road over a nine-kilometer stretch within the capital. During its presentation, Óscar Puente, the Minister of Transport, underscored the project's importance for mobility in Málaga and its metropolitan area.
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"This is a work of vital importance for the mobility of Málaga and its metropolitan area."

Óscar Puente · Minister of Transport
The decision to opt for an ordinary environmental assessment, rather than a simplified one, has contributed to the slow pace of the process. This choice has prolonged management times, and currently, the transparency page of the Ministry for Ecological Transition offers no further information on the status of the procedure beyond its start date.
The project includes a five-lane expansion on a specific 1.385-kilometer segment, from the port interchange to the exit of the Santa Bárbara Industrial Estate, where four lanes already exist. This is one of five phases of the plan, which also involves improvements in key sections such as the one from Torremolinos to the Los Álamos interchange, and between the Golf Course and the airport's southern access.
The current project budget exceeds 2023 estimates by over 60 million euros, when it was projected at 128 million. This increase, coupled with the environmental delay, is not the sole factor holding back the project, as the public information phase also extended beyond expectations.
The primary goal of these actions is to enhance traffic flow and road safety in the province of Málaga, particularly on a nine-kilometer stretch that sees over 120,000 vehicles daily, identified as a black spot by the DGT. Additionally, a 1.5-kilometer route variation will be designed, featuring a new 940-meter viaduct over the Guadalhorce River.
This road expansion could coincide with the duplication of the C1 Cercanías line between Málaga and Torremolinos, planned by Adif for late 2027 and early 2028, involving a six-month traffic suspension. The mayors of Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, and Fuengirola have expressed surprise and demanded transparency regarding the project details and the alternative transport plan. Javier Salas, the Government sub-delegate, has assured that alternative public transport will be guaranteed during the works.

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