Málaga and Granada now joined by A-7 coastal motorway

This means a faster, safer and more comfortable route between the two cities than on the N-340, a secondary road which is mostly single carriageway and is travelled by over 17,000 vehicles a day even in low season.

New stretches of the motorway have been built between Taramay and Lobres and from Lobres to Guadalfeo.

The plans were not cheap, with each kilometre of road costing 19 million euros, although the two kilometres between Lobres and Guadalfeo were paid for out of European Union development funds.

Three other stretches hare waiting to be built, all along the coast of the province of Granada.

They will involve an extension of the A-7 between Polopos and Albuñol, which is expected to be open in December, plus another between Gorgoracha and Puntalón, earmarked for completion by March next year, and a third from Carchuna to Castell, which should be in use by September 2015.

More works are under way on road infrastructure in Andalucía, set to cost nine-figure sums.

They include building the A-44 motorway from Granada city to the coast, to be known as the Sierra Nevada-Costa Tropìcal highway, and several extensions to the Granada ringroad.

All works are being overseen by, and are partly funded by the ministry of public works and infrastructure, led by Ana Pastor.

Pastor (pictured, centre) travelled south to officially open the new stretches of the A-7 this week.