Seems simple… rip out the crash barriers, widen the area next to the road to incorporate a pavement/sidewalk, put some barriers back in and Bob’s your uncle. Or “sorted” in plain English.

But things are never that simple… permission had to be sought and given before work could commence which will affect the N-340 and lorry parking area. Also, the area to be turned into pavement had slipped, so strengthening was required. Add to that, the new pavement will have service pipework installed underneath… so trying to get all the utility providers to actually turn up with their pipework material prepared on a designated day/time must be a nightmare.

Previously, access to the Los Pinos side of Almuñécar meant a trip down towards the beach and across  Rio Verde near the Medical Centre. Of course, if you need access to the northern part of Los Pinos, you then have to walk up the other side of the river. Naturally, most people just take their lives in their hands and walk up the hard shoulder of the N-340 from the traffic lights.

At this time, the workers are putting in the curbstones for the pavement/sidewalk, so work is forging ahead. The said pavement/sidewalk will be 2m wide, so plenty of room.

Anyway, if work progresses well, the good people of Los Pinos will have safe pedestrian access to and from the north of the town. That access will also be wheelchair friendly. There will also be a free ice cream for everyone that uses the new access for the first year.

I may have been lying about the ice creams… it just sounded such a nice idea!

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucía)