Highway to Hell – What’s the solution to the A-7 Costa del Sol?
By Adam Woodward • Published: 06 Jul 2025 • 12:39 • 2 minutes read
Tailbacks on Cala de Mijas curve July 5 2025. Credit: DGT
The A-7 motorway that connects Malaga and Estepona, is overwhelmed. There are no two ways about it. Persistent jams and accident blackspots – What can be done?
Daily, there is chronic congestion and frequent accidents that the Costa del Sol’s ever-increasing traffic struggles to cope with. Vehicle counts everyday range from 65,000 to over 100,000 in peak seasons, caused by population growth, booming tourism, and outdated infrastructure.
Traffic jams, once seasonal, are now a daily ordeal, doubling commute times. Design flaws like sharp curves, too few lanes, and hidden exits make the drive a nightmare, with merging onto the road often needing pedal-to-the-metal acceleration. The A-7 ranks as Spain’s third-worst motorway for users, with heavy traffic around Puerto Banús, San Pedro, and Rincón de la Victoria.
A-7 Costa del Sol – one long accident blackspot
Persistent safety risks
There are a couple of particularly nasty blackspots the DGT have highlighted: San Pedro Alcántara (km 1053–1050) and Fuengirola (km 1015–1013). The notorious La Cala de Mijas bend recorded 36 serious accidents over seven years. Other recent fender benders include a six-vehicle pile-up near Vélez-Malaga in 2024 and a five-vehicle collision in Marbella in 2025, causing hours-long closures. Speed limits of 80 km/h and average speed radars have marginally reduced incidents, but are clearly not enough.
What can’t the AP-7 be free like in other parts of the county?
The AP-7 toll road conundrum
The AP-7 toll motorway offers some relief but costing €18.85 for a full journey in high season, or €8.60 Fuengirola to Marbella, drivers are deterred, which pushes traffic back to the old A-7. The Spanish government has avoided making the AP-7 free, like in other parts of the country, because of a private concession agreement with Ausol, valid until 2054. Unlike other AP-7 sections (e.g., Alicante-Tarragona, freed in 2020), the Costa del Sol stretch still comes at a high price for drivers, as the government would need to compensate Ausol for lost revenue. However, the state also benefits from €384 million per year in tax revenue from the AP-7. Local leaders argue political bias is afoot, and the complexity of negotiations with Ausol get in the way of solutions like subsidies or a public buyout. Proposals for discounts, such as on Galicia’s AP-9 return-trip subsidies, are in consideration but lack much political commitment.
A-7 Costa del Sol – What can be done?
Government action and future fixes
A Ministry of Transport study launched in July 2025 at a cost of €690,000, Plans to explore solutions over the next 12 months, focusing on connectivity, flow, and safety, also coincides with the coastal train feasibility study (by, coincidentally, the same company). Some proposed measures include:
- Expanding A-7 capacity with additional lanes or straightened sections.
- Creating bypass routes to divert traffic.
- Improving A-7/AP-7 links or reducing tolls.
- Upgrading junctions to eliminate bottlenecks.
A €6 million A-7 rehabilitation project between Marbella and Fuengirola, completed in March 2024, has been deemed ridiculously insufficient by users, and calls for free AP-7 access during peak times or a coastal train line, (which has already been bogged down by bureaucracy for 20 years), remain unanswered.
Looking Ahead
The A-7’s woes come as the downside of the Costa del Sol’s spectacular growth in recent years. While the government’s study offers a glimmer of hope, a real solution would require more radical policy change. Drivers can monitor conditions via ViaMichelin or DGT updates, but real, long-term solutions, such as road improvement, public transport, and smarter traffic management are essential in transforming this congested, hazardous corridor into a safer, efficient route.
Follow Euro Weekly News on Google News
Get breaking news from Spain, travel updates, and expat stories directly on your Google News feed.
Follow on Google NewsSign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Adam Woodward
Adam is a writer who has lived in Spain for over 25 years. With a background in English teaching and a passion for music, food, and the arts, he brings a rich personal perspective to his work at Euro Weekly News. As a father of three with deep roots in Spanish life, Adam writes engaging stories that explore culture, lifestyle, and the everyday experiences that shape communities across Spain.
Comments
Kathryn Pilcher
07 July 2025 • 17:52The AP7 has to be freed of all tolls, whatever the deal needed. This would immediately take all through traffic out of the equation. Then look at improving and adding junctions.
Richard
08 July 2025 • 08:06Switch the toll from the AP7 to the A7. Using modern technology this could be done with residents and local businesses being exempt for short distances. Only if you travel a large distance would you be charged.
Juan Simondes
08 July 2025 • 08:59Has anyone suggested they trial for a length of time say a year and add a small fee ie 1 euro per car per toll to see if revenue collected and congestion decreased and see what the figures work out at. Surely this is a option so that the government don’t have to pay any compensation for it being toll free.
Janey
08 July 2025 • 10:23Toll charge on coastal road and free on the AP7 – never understood why one of the busiest coasts in Spain never planned to extend the railway infrastructure.
Daniel
08 July 2025 • 11:52A good option would be 1€ for all localy registered at townhall and the rest pay the full price and an action from all local users to block the AP-7 until our demand to stop this bloody mess is heard.
Dave Bentley
08 July 2025 • 22:13AP7 toll charges need to come down to make it reasonable to use it.
Dave Bentley
08 July 2025 • 22:15AP7 toll charges need to come down to make it reasonable to use it and take traffic from A7. Toll charges are far to high.
Maurice Nichol
09 July 2025 • 00:27Put all freight traffic on ap7
Patrick Gallagher
10 July 2025 • 00:27This diabolical issue over the A7 is ludicrous . It’s not rocket science.
Government sold the family silver when they agreed to a private partnership.
No political forward vision.
Compliant tax payers again pick up the tab.
What’s needed for past mistakes?
A SKYWAY ,NOT A HIGHWAY!
Comments are closed.