New life for N-340 in Fuengirola as decades-old footbridge to be demolished

The N-340, the so-called Costa del Sol or Mediterranean highway, is the longest national ('N-XXX') road in Spain. As it runs between the provinces of Cadiz and Barcelona, it passes through Malaga province. While there are stretches where it still carries a significant amount of traffic, the truth is that this backbone to coastal mobility is now secondary to the A-7 motorway link. This change has brought a calmer life to this N road: fewer cars, more pedestrians and therefore a slower driving speed for those who still need to use the coastal links, whether for tourism or residence.

This is the situation as it stands for areas such as Avenida de las Gaviotas in Fuengirola. The former N-340 has now been converted into a boulevard. However, there is still the footbridge, a pedestrian overpass built decades ago for the sole purpose of bridging this road so that pedestrians could safely get across it.

The footbridge not only crosses over the avenue but it also has two ramps on both sides made up of two sections each. After a structural survey by engineering experts, reports indicate that it is currently in a state of bad repair. Adding this fact to the loss of its usefulness as it is now close to several pedestrian crossings, the local council has taken the definitive decision to demolish it.

The footbridge comprises of a total of 90 square metres and the access ramps take up another 216 square metres, so the structure to be demolished covers over 300 square metres in an area with a regular flow of pedestrians and traffic.

For this reason, Fuengirola council has just put this project out to tender as requiring a specialised company. In fact, this is the second time that the project has gone out to tender. The first attempt was at the beginning of this year but, as no bids were received, it is time to try again.

The current tender was launched on 7 May to the tune of 107,202.33 euros and an initial execution period of 39 days. Interested companies will be responsible for drafting the project that must address health and safety, waste management and the demolition work itself. Interested parties have until 27 May to submit their proposals.

Once the work begins, the technical reports indicate that it is advisable for work to be carried out at night in order to reduce the level of impact of the work on traffic and to take appropriate safety measures for pedestrians. The reports also mention that the footbridge is located entirely on public land with the exception of one of the access ramps, which is located on private land as part of a residential plot.

"The owners' association must therefore be notified and appropriate preventive measures taken, as the ramp is located in the outside car park of the building, with part of the car park located underneath it. Therefore, these spaces will be disabled during the work and appropriate safety measures will have to be taken both for possible vehicles and pedestrians in the area."

The same goes for the other access ramp, which is located next to the car park of another residential building and, therefore, preventive measures should also be taken and owners notified to avoid possible damage to vehicles.

"This is an infrastructure that was built decades ago. When the town hall took over it and incorporated it into the local urban fabric as part of this avenue, pedestrian crossings were added and painted, so this footbridge was no longer necessary. It has fallen into disuse and it is time to remove it," stated Rocío Arriaga, the town's councillor for urban planning.

"It is an action that the neighbours have been demanding. And it is certainly reasonable because it no longer makes much sense to maintain this infrastructure. It will also serve to provide more space on the pavement it currently occupies and, in this way, improve the image and the transit of people along it," said the councillor for the Torreblanca and Carvajal district, María Hernández.