AP-7 Lane Closures in Torremolinos for Noise Barrier Project AP-7 lane closures in Torremolinos last 10 weeks for noise barrier installation. Plan your route to avoid delays near Málaga and Benalmádena. Drivers heading west along the AP-7 highway faced significant lane restrictions this week as the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility initiated heavy engineering works to install soundproof barriers alongside residential neighbourhoods in Torremolinos. The project involves a public expenditure of €3.28 million, funded under central government noise abatement directives and European recovery financing. To accommodate crane operations, foundation piling and panel erection along the highway verge, road engineers closed the far right-hand driving lane heading towards Cádiz and Marbella starting on Monday 28 September. The closure affects the heavily travelled stretch between kilometre markers 996.3 and 997.3, situated just inland from the town centre below the foothills of the Sierra de Mijas. Reducing decibels for motorway communities Motorway noise has remained a constant grievance for residents inhabiting hillside urbanisations along the northern fringe of Torremolinos, including El Pinillo, Cantarranas and upper Calvario. Traffic counts on this section of the AP-7 regularly exceed 75,000 vehicles daily, generating continuous ambient decibel levels that surpass national environmental thresholds for urban housing zones. The current scheme forms part of Phase II of the ministry’s Action Plan Against Noise. Specialised contractors are installing tall, sound-absorbing modular panels engineered from composite materials designed to reflect and absorb tyre and engine roar before it reaches residential balconies and municipal schools situated downwind. Highway technicians confirmed that the permanent single-lane closure will remain in place continuously until 5 December 2026, when installation crews are scheduled to demobilise heavy machinery and reopen all running lanes ahead of the Constitution Day holiday weekend. Commuter advice and alternate routes Because the AP-7 serves as the primary highway conduit linking Málaga Airport and the capital with Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Marbella, the restriction has already produced morning tailbacks during peak commuting hours between 07:30 and 09:30. Traffic management authorities advise drivers travelling between Málaga and the western coast to plan journeys with additional margin or utilise alternative corridors. Motorists travelling local distances between Torremolinos, Churriana and Arroyo de la Miel can bypass the highway restriction by diverting onto the low-level coastal route along the N-340 and Avenida Manuel Fraga Iribarne, or taking advantage of the high-frequency C-1 Cercanías commuter train, which runs every twenty minutes between Málaga Centro Alameda and Fuengirola. Variable message overhead signs along the A-7 and MA-20 approaches from Málaga have been activated to warn approaching traffic of lane merges well before the Torremolinos exit ramps, reducing the danger of sudden braking maneuvers as high-speed lanes narrow into the active work zone. Long-term environmental benefits Despite the temporary inconvenience for regional motorists, environmental groups and local neighbourhood federations have campaigned for these protective barriers for over a decade. Once completed in early December, the acoustic screens are projected to cut highway sound pollution in nearby streets by up to ten decibels, producing an immediate improvement in residential living quality for thousands of suburban households.