Malaga city council to repair potholes on MA-21 road: which bus lines will this impact?

Tens of thousands of vehicles use the MA-21 road in Malaga, which has been in a deplorable state for months, especially after the passing of a series of storms this winter. Drivers, however, have been complaining of the general condition of the road surface for years, having suffered tyre blowouts and safety concerns.

On Monday morning, Malaga city council finally launched repair works. They will take place every night, except Fridays and Saturdays, and will require complete road closures from 11pm to 6am.

The road is a responsibility of the city council. Before the transfer, the traffic authorities (DGT) were in charge. The DGT's last report recorded over 80,000 daily users of the MA-21.

The city council is undertaking this project as part of its programme to resurface high-traffic roads, with a budget of seven million euros. The work will likely continue until 22 May, but this may change depending on weather conditions, as resurfacing cannot be done in the rain.

The section of the MA-21 to undergo repairs is between the airport and the border with Torremolinos. Three years ago, work was carried out on the section between the Valdició commercial area and the airport.

Joint venture Suministros Asfálticos and Firmes y Asfaltados del Sur is in charge of repairs.

As an alternative until the repairs finish, drivers can use the MA-20 (western ring road) or the A-7, both for accessing the Churriana district and for travelling to Torremolinos.

The MA-23, subsequently joining the MA-20, is available as an alternative route at the airport turnoff for those using the MA-21 to access Churriana or nearby shopping centres.

The MA-20 and Camino del Pilar are also open for those accessing Torremolinos from Churriana.

While the MA-21 is under repairs, some bus routes will also have to change.

The sections that traffic restrictions will impact are the MA-21 towards Torremolinos, between kilometres 2+700 and 0+000 and the opposite direction, between kilometres 0 and 1+600.

The disruptions will affect the following bus lines: M-110 Malaga-Torremolinos-Benalmádena Costa; M-112 Malaga-Mijas; M-113 Malaga-Las Lagunas-Fuengirola (direct); M-132 Malaga-Alhaurín el Grande; M-133 Pinos de Alhaurín-Alhaurín de la Torre-Malaga; and M-230 Malaga-Coín (via Alhaurín de la Torre and Alhaurín el Grande).

This will also affect the following stops: the airport junction, the Churriana junction, Base Aérea and Campamento Benítez.

The former N-340 became the MA-21 when the Ministry of Public Works transferred management to Malaga city council in 2013, as part of a group of 34.9 kilometres of state motorways that became municipal responsibility in exchange for obtaining the Campamento Benítez land to convert it into a park.

The city council intends to transform this road. In fact, it has been working for years on a project to reduce the speed limit from 80 to 50km/h, improve pedestrian and bicycle traffic, install roundabouts and redesign public transport.