Crisis in Costa del Sol as entire town cut off due to emergency roadworks

Residents in Ronda and the popular San Pedro Alcántara in the region of are facing major disruption following a landslide that cut off the A-397, which is the only direct road linking the to the coast. The collapse was caused by Storm Jana back in March, which led to an indefinite closure of the vital route, thereby affecting commuters, locals, small businesses and those visiting the area. Due to the road closure, travel times have doubled, severely affecting daily life for the 7,500 vehicles that normally use the road, reported.

The Ministry of Public Works, Territorial Coordination, and Housing said in a statement: "The technicians have concluded that it is essential to carry out controlled blasting in certain unstable rock masses. These works will be coordinated with the Department of Industry and the Government Subdelegation in Malaga, thus ensuring their execution under maximum safety conditions."

The city council of Andalucia said today that the budget has been increased from 3.7 million euros to 4.5 million euros after finding new landslides on the affected slope.

Engineers have determined that controlled rock blasting is necessary due to the unstable rock formations, .

The final repair phase will then focus on fixing a damaged viaduct once the slope is stabilised.

Storm Jana which struck Spain last month seriously impacted the region with torrential rain and flooding causing multiple landslides and road closures.

San Pedro de Alcántara is a popular town in Marbella, known for its palm-lined beach, scenic seafront promenade and lively beach restaurants.

The town also has an expansive urban park, the Guadalmina River, and the Visigothic Basilica Vega del Mar, as well as the ancient Roman Baths of Guadalmina.

It also has charming cobbled streets in the old town and just a few minutes away from the mountain rage of the Sierra de Ronda mountain range.