A-397 route between Ronda and San Pedro faces fresh closure as slope crumbles over roadway

Drivers face disruption on the vital A-397 road linking Ronda with San Pedro de Alcantara after authorities closed a section near Igualeja on Friday morning, March 20. Problems with unstable slopes lead to the full closure at kilometre point 26.

Andalucia’s Consejería de Fomento scheduled the interruption to allow slope stabilisation work and removal of loose boulders at high elevation. Teams focus efforts on two main stretches: one near La Zagaleta access (kilometre 38) and another at Venta la Laja in Igualeja (kilometre 12). Engineers hope to repair lingering damage from recent storms.

Motorists heading to or from Ronda, Parauta, Igualeja, Benahavis, and Marbella should plan alternative routes in advance. Diversions add considerable time to journeys across the Serrania de Ronda.

Link to previous major closure

This marks the latest headache for users of the A-397, a notoriously winding route often plagued by geological risks. Authorities last fully closed the road in early 2025 following severe rainfall from Storm Jana, which triggered massive landslides around Benahavis in March that year. That incident damaged a bridge at kilometre 32, blocked the carriageway, and forced a prolonged shutdown lasting several months. Partial reopening occurred in July 2025 with alternating traffic, while full two-way access returned only by October 2025 after extensive repairs costing millions of euros.

Residual effects from those storms explain the current scheduled intervention, as ongoing slope vulnerabilities require proactive maintenance.

Broader impact from Winter storms

Several other regional roads remain impassable after the early February storm series. Affected routes include the A-7150 near Casares and A-7202 near Archidona, both under Junta de Andalucia control. Provincial roads such as MA-8401 in Serranía de Ronda, MA-8302 between Estepona and Genalguacil, MA-6406 at Teba, and MA-7402 near Ronda also stay closed. The CA-8201 serving La Sauceda in Cortes de la Frontera faces similar issues under Cadiz provincial management.

Safety remains paramount with these recurring events. Officials call for caution and emphasise pre-trip checks via DGT updates to avoid further inconvenience on Malaga’s challenging inland network. There was an unusual amount of rainfall at the beginning of the year, and road sidings that have lain dry and porous for many years have had some of their underneath support washed away.