The passage of lorries more than 100 metres long, carrying wind turbine blades of up to 92 metres and towers 50 metres long and 4.4 metres wide, essential for the construction of a wind farm in Los Barrios (Cádiz), will force the closure of the Costa del Sol motorway (AP-7) for several hours in the early hours of this Tuesday 19 November. Specifically, according to the operator of the toll road, Autosol, the disruption will last between 00:00 and 03:30.
An indication of how unusual the operation is comes from Juan Marchini, managing director of Ausol, who confirms that it is «unprecedented, with very few precedents on the Costa del Sol motorway». Because of the dimensions of the various wind farm components, other vehicles are prohibited from using the road.
To accommodate this transport, during the early hours of Monday to Tuesday and for the scheduled times, the three toll sections will be closed to traffic in the Cádiz direction only, and the following diversions will be in place: at the Benalmádena bypass towards the A-7, at kilometre point 1011; the Marbella bypass towards the A-7 (km 1047); the Estepona bypass towards the A-7 (km 1071); as well as at the three side toll points of Calahonda, San Pedro and Manilva (at km 200, 172 and 143, respectively).
«It is necessary to keep the motorway closed to traffic because of the size of the transport and its low speed, as it would prevent users from travelling at normal motorway speed», explains Marchini.
The operation is coordinated with the Guardia Civil traffic unit at all times. In addition, each lorry is accompanied by three escort vehicles with flashing lights, and a support vehicle also travels at the rear of the convoy. The company Laso, which is carrying out the transport, also has a workshop and mechanic vehicle available in case of any incidents along the route. The company states that this measure is strictly temporary and is not due to any unforeseen or sudden situation, but is «perfectly planned».
The scheduled operation provides for six convoys of special vehicles to pass between October and November, although the Danas (isolated depressions at high levels, or cut-off lows) that have affected the province have caused a slight delay compared with the original schedule, as some of the initially planned dates were postponed. Five have already been completed, so «tonight this major operation, which has lasted almost four weeks, comes to an end».
The managing director of Ausol stresses that the AP-7 motorway is «the only route along which these large lorries can travel in the south of Spain, because of the clearance required by the components». The route finally used, from the port of Motril to Los Barrios, is the result of several months of study involving the special transport company Laso, the Ministry of Transport and the concession company Ausol.
