The Ronda-San Pedro de Alcántara highway partially opens this Monday

Ronda/More than three months have passed since heavy rains caused a landslide that completely cut off the road between Ronda and San Pedro de Alcántara. This road connects the municipalities of the Serranía de Ronda (Málaga, Cádiz, and Sevilla) with the Malaga coast, where thousands of people work and need to travel daily. Therefore, this road, neglected by various governments of the Junta de Andalucía, despite announcements of various projects for it, is more than just a communication route.

"It's the breadwinning road, and politicians don't seem to care," stated Antonio Mariscal, a spokesperson for the citizen platform Autovía Ronda Ya, a few weeks ago. This group has also been demanding support measures for those affected, which have not been provided by any administration. The Junta did not offer special aid except for reinforcing bus transport, the municipalities did not apply any discounts, and the central government repeatedly refused to suspend the toll on the Costa del Sol highway, which has been used as an alternative route.

The thousands of workers affected have had to face the additional costs of alternative routes through Gaucín or Coín without any help. These detours have significantly increased travel time and have led to higher fuel expenses, vehicle maintenance costs, and toll payments, making family life balance almost impossible.

Now, starting tonight (00:00 this Monday), they will be able to regain some normality in their lives following the announcement of the partial reopening of this road, as only one of the two lanes will be available in the landslide area. However, many fear significant congestion could occur if the traffic regulation system does not consider the different traffic flows.

For now, the Andalusian Department of Development has only announced the reopening to traffic but has not provided further details on how vehicle passage will be managed at this point.

A repair costing 4.5 million euros

The repair of the damages will involve an investment of 4.5 million euros and has included leading companies in geotechnics and vertical work. Similarly, it has been indicated that the work will continue with one of the lanes open.

To rebuild the road, it was first necessary to execute measures to ensure the stability of the slope, removing all unstable rocks with heavy machinery, manual means with specialists in vertical work, and finally, controlled micro-blasting. Additionally, containment membranes have been installed in the upper and middle zones of the slide and a dynamic screen.

Once partially reopened to traffic, the Department of Development will continue with the work while the road is in service. In this phase, additional slope stabilization measures and reinforcement of the existing concrete wall will be carried out.