It may seem like a new idea, but plans for an access route to the port area were actually open to debate when the Las Pedrizas road was built, although they did not come to fruition.

The project has a total budget of 326,700 euros and a maximum timeframe of eight months. The main aim is to ensure fast and direct road access, connecting the port area with the high-capacity road network (A-7, MA-20 and MA-22), by capitalising on the urban integration work along the riverbed to separate heavy goods traffic from conventional urban transport.

The need to launch this tender stems from a number of operational and transport-related factors within Malaga's wider area.

At present, the connection from the motorway network to the port is mainly via the MA-22, the Paseo de Poniente, in conjunction with the MA-20 and the Malaga ring roads. The route is under significant operational pressure due to the substantial residential, hospital, university and sports development nearby.

Added to this is the growing scale of commercial activity at the port, driven by increased container traffic, the consolidation of long-haul maritime routes and a greater flow of heavy goods vehicles.

The project therefore aims to diversify existing access points, reduce unproductive journeys, improve resilience to congestion and ensure the infrastructure is functionally integrated within the Guadalmedina development plan.

Based on traffic counts, surveys, historical data and port activity forecasts, demand scenarios and sufficient modeling will be developed to compare alternatives.

The analysis will incorporate general traffic volumes and those of heavy vehicles in particular, current and projected service levels, avoided routes, interaction with the Low Emission Zone and the urban network, sensitivity to increases in port traffic, and expected functional effects on the MA-22 and the connecting road network.

The Port Authority's board of directors approved the launch of this tender in June.

"This new access route will improve connectivity within the port area, optimise traffic flows associated with logistics and tourism, and contribute to more efficient and sustainable transport, in line with the port's growth needs and Malaga's urban regeneration," sources said at the time.

Furthermore, this study will need to align with the projects to build several pedestrian bridges along the riverbed, with the aim of improving urban connectivity between the two banks in the most central section.

The integration of the Guadalmedina is already at the design stage.

Read dedicated local reporting for Malaga city