Benalmádena is preparing definitive plans to transform marina for people on foot

Benalmádena town hall is preparing to fully pedestrianise its marina after the positive reception of the pilot scheme launched this past summer. While some vehicle restrictions are certain, the details remain unknown.

The town hall has stated that it will first confirm specifications with residents and business owners in the area. With that said, there will be "certain adjustments" to the pilot test. The responsible parties have assured that every step "has been previously discussed with all the groups affected", with the aim of discovering the best model for "a modern and accessible marina".

In the next few days, Benalmádena town hall will present the proposal and illustrate the way in which the definitive pedestrianisation will be implemented and the phases in which it will be carried out.

The pilot scheme involved the pedestrianisation of Calle La Fragata - one of the two main axes of the marina - in the section between the Casabianca café and the Burger King, i.e. the area closest to the Fuente de la Salud beach, where the Benalmádena and Torremolinos promenades meet. The same street was kept open to traffic in the section between the Las Velas roundabout and Casabianca, where two-way traffic allowed access to part of the port.

There were also changes on Avenida del Puerto, the other main axis. Access was limited from the Las Velas roundabout to the Burger King and only vehicles going to the Mac hotel, residents, commercial vehicles for loading and unloading, emergency and waste collection vehicles were given access. From the beginning, the idea was to cut traffic also at that roundabout and connect the nearby promenade of La Carihuela, in Torremolinos, with Benalmádena's promenade.

For the moment, the Benalmádena marina's layout remains as it was designed 53 years ago. Current urban planning standards prioritise pedestrianisation, which is the transition that will take place.