Mijas presses Madrid to repair 17 footbridges over the A-7

Mijas Council has asked Spain’s Ministry of Transport to carry out urgent repairs on all 17 pedestrian footbridges that cross the A-7 motorway within the municipality, citing safety concerns, according to Euro Weekly News.

The council renewed its request on Wednesday, October 7, after complaints about the state of the structures. Several of them were inspected by local councillors in La Cala de Mijas.

Rust, peeling paint and falling concrete

Infrastructure councillor Juan Jose Torres said the bridges show signs of long-term neglect, including rusted metal railings, peeling paintwork and chunks of concrete breaking away. He warned that debris falling from the structures could endanger vehicles on the busy coastal motorway.

Playas councillor Daniel Gomez said years of insufficient maintenance had left some railings so corroded that whole sections may need replacing rather than patching up.

The footbridges link residential areas, local facilities and the coast, so they are in daily use by residents and visitors in Mijas Costa.

Why the council cannot act

The A-7 is a state-owned road, and the bridges form part of the motorway structure. That makes them the legal responsibility of the Ministry of Transport rather than the town hall. Mr Torres said the council could face state sanctions if it carried out repairs without authorisation.

He said the council had contacted the ministry several times without receiving a reply. A further formal request covering all 17 bridges was due to be sent on October 7.

The demand follows earlier calls for improvements to pedestrian bridges along this stretch of the A-7. No repair timetable has been agreed with the ministry, and no independent engineering assessment of the bridges’ structural condition has been made public.

What happens next

Mijas Council says the state authority must act to fix the reported defects so the crossings can be used safely. Residents are now waiting for a response from the ministry and for details of when inspections and repairs might take place.

Source: euroweeklynews.com