The much-needed stretch of autovia between Gorgoracha and Puntalón was 75% complete when all work ground to a halt; the construction company Isolux Corsan had struck an unexpected strata of rock that would require a lot of extra funding to reroute the construction work.
In fact, the extra money needed would almost have been another 50% of the original budget, so the Government had no option other than to cancel the original contract with the company, find the extra funds and open a new contract for bidding, which is what has happened. In the interim, almost two years has elapsed.
The original company won the bid again and with a budget of 39-million euros, will complete the section, starting from December and concluding next year.
As soon as the Gogoracha-Puntalón section is complete, the same company will commence work on the port, autovia connection.
This means that finally, all of the missing sections are active and working towards completion.
Despite the scare over the Taramay-Lobres section, opposition leaders and business representatives had a tour of the section and confirmed that work continues up there – and is progressing well.
So when, according to the Central Government, will we be able to drive from the western boundary to the eastern boundary of the province, on the A-7? The answer is that motorists will be able to drive from the Málaga provincial boundary to Carchuna before the end of next year, and then from Carchuna-Castell de Ferro and Polopos-Albuñol by summer 2013.
So, in conclusion, better late than never. The ways things were going, never was becoming a possibility.
The regional opposition leader, Javier Arenas, was already proclaiming that his party would have to complete the A-7, but with this latest development and the actual government finding the funds from God knows where, the PP (Partido Popular - Centre Right, newly elected) can sit back and witness the outgoing PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) place the A-7, where it passes through Costa Tropical and the A-44, down from Granada to the coast, in their trophies cabinet.
