Marbella A-7 exit mess: Elviria residents hit by closure linked to building development

Residents in Elviria and Las Chapas are facing longer journeys and concerns over road safety after a key A-7 motorway exit serving Golden Beach was closed before its replacement access was ready.

The closure, which took place in the week beginning September 21, has triggered criticism of Marbella Council, the central government and the arrangements surrounding a new luxury housing development.

Why was the Elviria motorway exit closed?

The affected access, identified as junction 1034, serves the southern part of Elviria, including Golden Beach. Acciona Inmobiliaria, the developer behind the BLU residential project at Estrella del Mar, carried out the closure after receiving authorisation from Spain’s road authority.

The development is planned to contain 58 luxury apartments and 88 townhouses. The approved plans include changes to the local road network and an alternative route using the exit near the Don Carlos hotel.

Authorities have argued that the old junction presented a safety risk because drivers had to stop before joining the busy A-7, leaving little room to accelerate into traffic.

Residents desperate due to longer journeys and jams

The timing of the closure has become a major source of anger. Local property professional Michael Moon also reported that some residents were experiencing journeys of 15 to 20 minutes for trips that had previously been short, as drivers tried unfamiliar routes through surrounding streets.

The disruption could also affect customers travelling to nearby shops, restaurants and beach businesses, although individual businesses’ financial losses have not been established.

Council accused of knowing about the closure

Marbella Council initially complained that it had not been given adequate warning and called for the access to remain open until alternative routes were ready.

On September 30, the council confirmed that it had written to the central government’s road authority requesting the temporary reopening of the links. It warned that poor signage and unexpected manoeuvres were creating additional safety concerns.

However, a political dispute has since intensified. Local reporting published on October 7 said Mayor Ángeles Muñoz had granted Acciona a local works licence in July 2025 covering the closure. A further local licence for improvements to the alternative route was issued in August 2026.

The PSOE opposition has accused the mayor of presenting herself as unaware of a project the council had authorised. The council’s initial position was that the closure had happened without adequate advance notice to residents.

Will access to Golden Beach improve?

The wider El Rosario-Elviria area has long needed better connections, with plans for service roads intended to improve access to the A-7. For residents, the immediate question is whether the alternative route will be completed and properly signposted, and whether local streets can cope with the diverted traffic.

The closure also raises a wider question for Marbella as development continues along the coast: should existing road connections be removed before replacement routes are ready for the people who depend on them every day?