Surprisingly, the 2013 budget announced by the Central Government shows that there is no money for the A-7 between Almuñécar/Salobreña. In fact, there is no money set aside until 2014, when it will receive a budget of 118m euros, and then 15m euros in 2015 and finally, 12m euros in 2016.

These figures contradict a pledge made a few days ago by the Central Government Delegate for Andalucía, Carmen Crespo, who said that the A-7 would be finished before the present legislature is out (2015)

As far as the Convergencia Andaluza is concerned the ruling party (Partido Popular) is punishing the inhabitants of the Costa Tropical, especially in Almuñécar and Salobreña, as a result of this lack of funding for that stretch of the autovia.

The Secretary-General of the CA, Ángel Ortega, considers that the PP should explain this apparent “fraud and deceit,” which, he says, puts the completion of this section back four years. According to the CA, the previous completion date given was 2013 and now it is 2017.

Furthermore, he criticises the increment in the total budget for the Almuñécar/Salobreña section of 51m euros and the fact that nobody in the Central Government has offered any explanation why.

Independently, the Publisher of the Seaside Gazette managed to speak with a source working on the project who claims that work is virtually at a standstill on the section, with a handful of workers merely ‘going through the motions.’

The ball is in the Central Governments court to explain exactly when this section will finally be finished, allowing traffic coming from Málaga into the province of Granada to link up with the Granada-Costa Tropical A-44, without having to use single-lane roads along the N-340.

(News: Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – photo: infocostatropical.com)