Torremolinos calls on the government to find solutions to the noise from the motorway in La Leala and El Pinillo Norte

Infrastructure

The plenary session requests the Ministry of Transport to install acoustic screens on the A-7 in the sections parallel to the built-up areas

José Rodríguez Cámara

The announcement by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility that it had completed work on the installation of iscreens to reduce noise between ... kilometres 995.9 and 997.6 of the AP-7, in the municipalities of Torremolinos and Malaga, was not enough for Torremolinos council.

All the parties represented on the council, except the PSOE which abstained, backed a motion presented by the PP to ask the Spanish government to provide new elements of this type on the dual carriageway as it passes through the sections parallel to the streets Leala Norte, Vicente Blanch Picot and Juan Rosa Mateo.

Rest

The proposal seeks to "protect the residents of this area from noise pollution" caused by traffic. According to data from the Ministry of Public Works released by the local government of Torremolinos, 110,000 vehicles pass through this point every day.

The spokesman for the PP, Luis Rodríguez, recalled that this is not an original petition, as an almost identical initiative was presented five years ago, on that occasion without the support of the Socialists and IU.

"On the 25 May the government certified that the works to mitigate the noise at different points of the AP-7 between Torremolinos and Malaga had been completed. So far so good, except for one small detail: they have ignored, skipped or ignored the request made by this town hall," lamented the councillor.

"We are obliged to bring back this proposal to reflect the request of the hundreds of residents who see their lives affected on a daily basis," said Rodríguez, insisting: "It is clear to us that we have to improve the quality of life of the residents and this is one more step towards achieving it".

Access

The screens are not Torremolinos' only road complaint. The urban developments planned in the La Leala district, in the western part of Torremolinos, on the border with Benalmádena, require a new access from the A-7 motorway.

This was stated by the mayor, Margarita del Cid, during her speech at the extraordinary plenary session in which the town commemorated the XXXVII Anniversary of Autonomy. This demand is supported by Benalmádena, whose local council also considers that it is necessary to carry out this work.

Investment

The investment reaches 3.3 million, including taxes, financed with European funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility announced the award of the works in March 2024, having gone out to tender the previous September. The noise protectors are in the area around the Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos.

65

Decibels

The installation aims to keep nearby housing estates within noise limits that do not exceed 65 decibels during the day and 55 at night, and is expected to benefit some 4,800 residents, according to the calculations in the technical document, which was drawn up at the time by the research body Cedex, which is part of the central government.

The installation aims to keep nearby housing estates within noise limits of no more than 65 decibels during the day and 55 at night, and is expected to benefit some 4,800 residents, according to the calculations in the technical document, which was drawn up at the time by the central government's research body, Cedex.

Regarding the possibility of adopting solutions of this kind in the areas that Torremolinos council is calling for, the Subdelegation in Malaga has limited itself to recalling the latest projects that have been completed, without clarifying whether there are any new ones planned.