A proposed widening of the old Cártama road beside Málaga’s Intelhorce industrial area is now estimated to cost about €33 million, but the project has no agreed start date. The road, part of Avenida de Ortega y Gasset, is a key route past the industrial area and nearby housing developments.
The estimate was given by Málaga’s municipal government in a response to questions from the Con Málaga group. It is higher than the €17.8 million included in the infrastructure plan currently being processed. The council says the figure is not final: technical staff are still reviewing the revised design, and further changes could affect the cost.
The road currently has one lane in each direction. The discovery report describes daily congestion on the section, with pressure expected to grow as homes in the Cortijo Merino and Distrito Zeta developments are completed. It also cites logistics warehouses operating at capacity and a shopping centre whose construction is due to begin next year as factors adding to future traffic demand.
Under the proposed design, the road would be widened to 70 metres. Plans provide for a central road with two lanes in each direction and a landscaped median, alongside two service roads. The scheme also includes pavements and on-street parking, with provision for a bus and high-occupancy vehicle lane and a cycle lane.
The plans date back to June 2016, according to the discovery report. Málaga City Council commissioned engineering firm Narval Ingeniería to update the project, taking account of technical requirements, current market prices and changes in surrounding development. The company submitted its revised proposal in August, but municipal technical staff have not completed their review.
Responsibility for the road has become a point of dispute between the city and the Andalusian regional government, which owns it. The council says it took the lead on the project as part of institutional cooperation and in response to transport needs. Con Málaga deputy spokesperson Toni Morillas has criticised the delay and called for urgent widening; she also accused the regional government and the city’s governing PP team of failing to secure commitments for the work. Those criticisms are the group’s position, not an agreed project timetable.
For residents, workers and businesses using the corridor, the practical next steps remain uncertain. The revised proposal still needs the council’s technical review, and the available information gives no confirmed funding package, construction start date or completion date. No final agreement between the city and the regional government is reported.