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Murcia's northwest ring road to fully open next week after years of construction
Final 7.6km stretch will complete the bypass linking the A-30 and A-7 and help ease heavy traffic around the city
Drivers in the Region of Murcia will soon see the long-awaited completion of a major road project designed to reduce congestion around the capital. The final section of the Murcia Northwest Ring Road is due to open to traffic on Monday March 23, completing the full 21.7km bypass connecting the A-30 with the A-7.The new stretch, around 7.6km long, will link Las Torres de Cotillas with the junction between Murcia and Alcantarilla, allowing vehicles travelling long distances to avoid passing through the city itself. The official inauguration is expected to take place that morning at around 10.30am, with Spain’s Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, attending the event.
The completion of this final section marks the end of a project that began in 2019 and has gradually taken shape over the past few years. Last summer, two earlier stretches of the road were opened, covering about 14.1km between the A-30 at kilometre 119 in Archena and the RM-B37 road in Las Torres de Cotillas.
Once fully operational, the bypass will allow traffic travelling between Andalucía, Cartagena, Valencia and Albacete to pass around Murcia rather than through it. According to government estimates, the route could divert thousands of vehicles each day, including around 3,800 trucks that currently use the busy western ring road.
Officials say the new infrastructure should help relieve pressure on some of the region’s most congested routes, including the Espinardo junction and the ring roads surrounding Murcia city, where traffic levels can reach around 123,000 vehicles daily during peak periods.
Government delegate Francisco Lucas recently highlighted the wider significance of the project, describing it as an investment aimed at modernising the Region’s transport network. “These are investments aimed at resolving historical demands and preparing the Region for the challenges of the future,” he said.
The road also connects a number of municipalities in the metropolitan area, including Molina de Segura, Lorquí, Villanueva del Río Segura, Ceutí, Alguazas and Las Torres de Cotillas, as well as Murcia itself. The route will also serve several nearby industrial estates and business areas.
The completion of the ring road is expected to be particularly helpful during busy holiday periods. Visitors travelling from central and northern Spain towards Cartagena and the Region’s beaches during Easter will be able to bypass Murcia altogether, avoiding the usual traffic bottlenecks.
The project also forms part of a wider plan to improve traffic flow around the city, alongside the proposed Northern Ring Road that aims to divert vehicles away from the busy shopping centre areas and major motorway junctions around Murcia.
Image: Googlemaps
