Whose street is it? Torremolinos Council seeks Ministry decision on MA-20 ownership to speed up repairs

In Spain, the level of competence in road maintenance varies depending on where you are. Motorways are under the control of the central government, even if it passes through a city. For example, A-7 and AP-7 pass through Marbella. Regional roads are controlled by autonomous communities. They tend to be restricted at 90 km/h in between major cities, but they remain outside the motorway classification. Local councils are responsible for the roads and streets in a particular city, town, or village. There are subtleties, but most people know who is responsible for what.

Local councils are limited on national routes

Mijas Council has complained about the poor condition of the A-7, which passes through Mijas Costa. The town’s budget is not sufficient to cover repairs, and Spanish laws prevent local action. Mijas Council is not responsible for this, so they cannot do anything about it. Estepona Council needed to ask the central Spanish government for permission before they could begin work to upgrade the pedestrian overpass on the A-7, between Benamara to Paraiso. The structure is owned by the central Spanish government. The project took a long time to start because they were waiting for the approval of Oscar Puente, minister of transport.

Torremolinos resolves MA-20 insecurity

Sometimes, lines of competence are blurred. In some cases, the lines between competences become blurred.

Torremolinos Councilors have formally requested The Ministry of Transport must clarify ownership of the damaged MA-20 section at the border of Malaga, near Avenida Manuel Fraga Iribarne. This will hopefully speed up repairs and ensure legal certainty.

The road is in serious need of repair. Potholes, cracks, and surface degradation affect the safety of the road and the look of this key entrance to the city.

María Heredia, infrastructure councillor, explained that the council documented the situation, reviewed planning, cartography, property details and technical data, then sent all material to determine who must and legally can act. Residents and visitors to this Torremolinos entrance are aware of the problem, but a solution is needed.

The council reports describe surface problems and hazards, such as increased dangers, water accumulations, loss in grip, and longer stopping distances. The discrepancies in kilometre points, graphic data and town limits led to the request for a formal resolution to determine the responsible administration.

Priority is given to fast repairs by either the owner administration or legal council participation.

Requests are directed at a statement by the Ministry of Tourism on Torremolinos’s responsibility or a mechanism for Torremolinos’s full guarantee.

When we see a stretch of road that is deteriorating at the entrance to the town, it’s easy to ignore the administrative boundaries and complain about the alleged poor job being done by the council. But legal and technical efforts still block urgent safety work in advance of the summer peak.