The value of a road

Logically, if road infrastructure were improved, more people could revitalise these small towns, where housing is infinitely cheaper, as is food

Ignacio Lillo

Friday, 14 March 2025, 12:41

We constantly deceive ourselves. We love to hear ourselves talk, pontificate and make empty commitments. But when push comes to shove, well... you go first...

This reflection comes in light of the severe damage caused by the storm, which has kept the A-397 road closed between Ronda and San Pedro Alcántara, leaving the mountain town cut off from the coast - the area it relies on for work.

The fact is, thousands of people from Ronda and neighbouring towns remain there precisely because of the connection to Marbella.

Without it, most would have moved away years ago, leaving their neighbourhoods deserted and further overcrowding the already saturated coastal strip. That’s just how it is - if only there were enough jobs for everyone in the Serranía.

But reality is what it is: thanks to a bad mountain road with 365º curves, dangerous and constantly at the mercy of the weather, people remain rooted in the small inland towns because they can commute daily to where the jobs are...

Logically, if road infrastructure were improved, more people could revitalise these towns, where housing is infinitely cheaper, as is food - of better quality, too. The official discourse claims this is a goal: to fight against depopulation in Spain (and, by extension, in Malaga), to keep residents in their territories, maintain vibrant communities and prevent people from losing their roots in the suburbs of large cities.

It all sounds great in speeches and planning documents… but for it to become reality, infrastructure is essential.

The road from Ronda to San Pedro has great potential for improvement with relatively affordable investments and without major environmental impacts. A new viaduct could be built to straighten the most challenging section, significantly shortening travel time. Additional stretches could be widened to include a third lane, shoulders, and even bike lanes to ensure the safety of the many cyclists who use the road for sport.

Those investments are more than justified by the volume of traffic the road handles and its potential as a driver of economic growth and a lifeline for a mountain population that - while having the potential to grow and thrive - will be forced to migrate and abandon the region if proper connections are not in place.

This, in turn, leads to serious losses in cultural heritage and increases environmental risks, such as inadequate fire prevention and control. To keep the inland areas alive and populated, good roads are essential - there’s no other way.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia