March downpours wreak havoc on Malaga's roads

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Monday, 31 March 2025, 16:30

The Diputación provincial authority has activated the first emergency contracts to fix the damages caused to Malaga's roads during storms Konrad and Laurence. Moreover, the weather conditions have revealed the already existing weaknesses of the road network, which will need a lot of effort and maintenance to repair the asphalt.

With the exception of the state network, all roads are suffering from multiplying potholes and cracks. Numerous SUR readers have sent their complaints, hoping to encourage local government action and prevent accidents.

Abundant water is one of the main enemies of asphalt. This is especially true for poorly maintained pavements designed for lower weights. Once water penetrates through cracks, it facilitates rapid deterioration. Additional factors are the presence of clays, the low amount of binding material, low gravel hardness and friction issues.

Several roads have been badly damaged, causing closure or traffic restrictions. The A-397 road from Ronda to San Pedro Alcántara is one example, where a rockslide on 8 March caused major damage and the activation of a costly emergency plan. It will remain closed for a minimum of four months and up to six months before it can be restored to normal.

Las Pedrizas road (A-45), although open, has been causing quite a few problems for drivers since another landslide forced a lane to be cut and a transfer to the opposite direction to be enabled on a section with particularly heavy traffic jams every day.

A good part of the main road network in Malaga city and Greater Malaga are has been damaged by the accumulation of water. Potholes, some of them very large, are almost everywhere in the city, both on the urban roads and on the main arteries.

A visual analysis carried out by SUR in response to user complaints has made clear conclusions: it is urgent to launch a resurfacing plan to avoid accidents and breakdowns.

The MA-21 motorway (the old Carretera de Cádiz), especially the stretch nearest to Malaga Airport, has been the subject of many complaints related to damaged tyres and wheel rims. It was not that long ago that Malaga city council patched most of the deepest potholes in the road. However, the asphalt remains uneven, making driving uncomfortable and unsafe. According to airport employees, who use the road every day to get to work, there still are potholes that are four fingers deep.

One professional group that is particularly affected by this situation is taxi drivers. The Elite Taxi Costa del Sol association has been the first to report that the "Carretera de Cádiz at the airport in both directions is full of potholes. Vehicles are continually puncturing tyres there. Measures must be taken".

Spokesperson Guillermo Díaz explained that incidents can have a lot more consequences for taxi drivers. "When a colleague blows a tyre, he has to report it and go to court - it takes four or five years to get reimbursed," he said.

The most affected area is the access to Malaga Airport. However, the problem extends all the way to the streets and roads of Malaga's central areas. Bus lanes suffer significantly due to the weight of the vehicles.

In reality, there are similar problems on many other roads, with examples such as the section from Valle Inclán to the ring road, just before reaching the westbound tunnel, or the road within the Teatinos university campus.

On theA-357 Guadalhorce motorway, which is the usual commuter route for thousands of Andalucía TechPark workers, the asphalt has been damaged in many sections. The alternative route, through the Campanillas neighbourhood, is even worse.

The poor state of repair of many roads in the Malaga city area is not a question of more or less comfortable journeys - it is a question of road safety and, as such, must be a priority for investment from the responsible authorities.