The government team is closer to fulfilling one of the great challenges of this mandate at the tourism level: the execution of the stretch of coastal path that will allow the connection of La Cala de Mijas with Fuengirola. Once this walkway, of 5.3 kilometres, is finished, Mijas could be the first municipality in the province of Malaga to have its path finished, with its 14 kilometres of coastline covered through this wooden structure that allows you to enjoy the natural wealth of our coasts and access most of its beaches.

The Ministry for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the ‘Junta de Andalucía’ (Regional Govern-ment) has issued the last favourable report necessary to tender the works, a procedure that could be carried out in May although, according to municipal sources, the works would not begin until after the summer, in order to not cause inconveniences during the high tourist season. “Connecting La Cala and Fuengirola through the path is complicated and requires several authourizations. However, we already have the authourization of the ‘Junta’ for two of the three phases that will be executed”, said mayor Josele González (PSOE).The mayor recalled that the coastal path is “one of the great projects that was promoted by the Town Hall in its day and already connects La Cala with the area of Cabopino”.

Fuengirola - La Cala stretch

The unblocking of the project comes after years of work, in which the favourable reports by the Coasts and Roads Department have been obtained, and the one pending was that of the Autonomous Administration, which is now available to the Town Hall. Specifically, the sections that are about to be put out to public tender include an extension of 2,996 metres divided into two sections: the first, 703, between the beach of El Ejido and the beach bar Villa Tropicana and, the third, of 2,293 metres, between La Cala and El Chaparral. “The intermediate section, the most complicated one, will be undertaken at a later stage, as it has many properties that have been occupying the area of public domain for years, so it will entail greater processing at the urban level”, said the councillor for Tourism and Infrastructure, José Carlos Martín (C’s). This section, which is 2,377 metres, is located between the beach bar Villa Tropicana and El Chaparral. As councillor Martin specified, it is “a difficult project, due to the lack of space and the proximity to the highway”. “The most complicated section, despite being the shortest, is the first, as there are many stones and a long distance to the shore, which complicates its execution”, assured the councillor.

The financing

The sections that are about to be offered for public tender will entail an investment of 3,335,097.72 euros. The mayor hopes that the amount can be co-financed between the Town Hall and other administrations, such as the Provincial Council in Málaga, which already covered one of the sections of the Mijas-Marbella path. However, González recalled, “there are several sections of the path that the Town Hall financed alone. Given that it is a very ambitious project, which benefi ts other municipalities of the Costa del Sol, such as Fuengirola and Marbella, we would really appreciate its co-financing”.

 

Source: Mijas Comunicación S.A.