Costa Del Sol Main Road Facing Daily Closures.  One of the busiest transport routes on the Costa Del Sol is set to be closed for two hours a day, causing traffic chaos and disruption.

Costa Del Sol Main Road Facing Daily Closures

One of the busiest roads on the Costa Del Sol is going to be closed to traffic for two hours every day.  The A7 links all the major towns and cities on the coast, and is used by thousands of motorists every day.  The shock announcement has been made by the Spanish Highways Informed Transit department.

Exclusive Use For Sheep And Goats

A section of the A7 between La Cala De Mijas and Fuengirola will be closed daily between 1pm and 3pm.  The closure follows a report which revealed that local sheep and goat farmers are not easily able to move their animals between their agricultural facilities.

Carlos Granja from the Ministry Interior National Geographical Executive told Costa Del Sol Update “When the A7 was built many years ago, no consideration was given as to how this would affect local farmers and goat herders.  Since then we have worked tirelessly to find a way to rectify this, and have determined that closing the road to traffic for two hours a day and giving exclusive use of it to local farmers is the best solution for everyone”.

Costa Del Sol farmers will now be able to use the A7 to move their animals.

Vehicles Could Be Siezed

The Guardia Civil will close the carriageway to vehicles between La Cala De Mijas and Fuengirola every day, any motorist caught trying to sneak onto the road between these points faces having their vehicle seized.

A local official believes that the closure won’t affect motorists adversely.  as there are plenty of alternative routes.  Alfonso Cabra says “There are lots of other routes that motorists can take to travel between La Cala and Fuengirola.  The back roads don’t get enough use anyway, it will be good to see them travelled more often”.

The A7 will be closed to traffic between 1pm and 3pm daily.

Outraged Locals And Expats

The announcement has been met by opposition from local businesses and road users. Enrique Oveja runs a local drinks distribution company.  He says “this road closure every day is ridiculous, my trucks can’t even fit on some of the back roads!  Bars and restaurants could run out of drinks, and tourists will riot, then we’ll have a whole new problem to deal with.  All this because of a few sheep and goats”.

British expats have also been voicing their concerns.  Anne Fernandez runs a Facegroup group where expats vent their frustrations and express outrage about important matters including substandard Spanish cups of tea and Brexit.  She says “my members will obviously be outraged by this.  We’re all animal lovers, but closing the main road so that sheep and goats can use it is a step too far.  They don’t even need an ITV to be road legal.”

Goats living on the Costa Del Sol have reacted well to the news that they will now be able to use the U7.

Christina Marina is a British expat originally from Birmingham, now based in Fuengirola.  She told Costa Del Sol Update “I’m not from Birmingham actually, I’m from Edgebaston.  I can’t believe anyone thinks this is a good idea.  I have to travel on the A7 once a week to get from my home to the bank in Fuengirola to cash my British welfare cheque.  I don’t even like goat’s cheese.  There’s no benefit to anyone here”.

Are you happy to allow farmers to have exclusive use of the A7 for two hours a day? Have your say in the comments section below.

Written by John Craven, Costa Del Sol Update, 07.06.2018