News from Andalucia & Costa del Sol

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Week July 18th to July 24th

NEW TERMINAL PLANS UNVEILED

Ambitious project to meet increasing passenger levels by 2007

By David Jamieson and Eve Gallagher

PLANS FOR THE NEW AMBITIOUS TERMINAL AT MÁLAGA AIRPORT HAVE BEEN UNVEILED BY THE AIRPORT'S DIRECTOR MARIO OTERO, WHO FURTHER DISCLOSED THAT WORK WOULD START IN 2004 AND FINALISE IN 2007.

Sr Otero explained that the present project plans would be completed by March next year, with work to be started on the following year, once the project gets the final go ahead from central government. While the final budget is yet to be set, it is expected to be around 120 million euros.

Airport operators AENA confirm the new terminal will be capable of handling 9,000 passengers an hour, 50 per cent more than at present, and up to 20 million a year, the figure anticipated by 2017.

The new terminal will adjoin the existing terminal, on a site presently occupied by the present control tower which will become free in November when the new tower opens.

The architect and designer of the new control tower, Bruce S. Fairbanks, has designed a building quite different in style to the Pablo Ruíz Picasso. When finished, the new terminal will accommodate the present structure to form one unique L-shaped building, with a 223-metre frontage, principal floors with check-in areas and baggage reclaim hall. This section will provide a total of three areas for departing travellers - the existing hall in the Pablo Ruiz Picasso terminal, a new 143 metre hall with 60 desks plus two for special luggage, and a further stretch of 63 metres with more facilities for large luggage - totalling almost 20,000 square metres with 84 new check-in desks.

TRANSPORT LINKS

Transport links have been given prime importance, and a coach station with a 92 vehicle capacity, plus a RENFE railway station, will be constructed underground.

It is envisaged that the Fuengirola-Málaga line will also include the Airport in their itinerary, a great help to visitors along the coast.

There will also be a five storey car park, two floors of which will be underground, offering 1,700 new spaces.

OLD TERMINAL UPGRADED

The airport's original terminal, which the Picasso terminal replaced, will be developed to handle regional flights with eight dedicated check-in desks.

Work should take about seven or eight months to complete and be finished by March next year. This will help to ease congestion in the main terminal, especially during the summer months.

Director Mario Otero also unveiled the project for the airport's second runway, to be located on the other side of the airport around the central terminal. The second runway is expected to be built by 2012.

NERJA ROAD RENEWAL RAISES THE ROOF

Calles Pintada and Cruz next on the list to be upgraded

By David Jamieson

NERJA TOWN HALL HAS HELD A MEETING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSMEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE NEXT ROUND OF STREET UPGRADES, DUE TO START IN SEPTEMBER, IN CALLES PINTADA AND CRUZ.

Previous urbanisation and renovation projects in the town, most recently in Calle Los Huertos, have resulted in many months of disruption and, often, impossible access to shops, offices and houses, with a consequent drop in commercial activity.

The engineer responsible, Juan José Soto of Transportes Antelo, explained the timetable for the project which is to be undertaken in phases. Work will start on the left side of Pintada from Angustias up to Cervantes, then the stretch from Cervantes to the main road, followed by the other side of Pintada. Finally, Calle Cruz and the entrance to the underground car park will be tackled. Sr Soto expected major work to be finished by March with a final completion date of May. The budget of 622,422 euros is to be met entirely by the Caves Foundation.

DELAYS IN TORRE

Meanwhile, traders in Torre del Mar have complained that the renovation of Paseo de Larios looks unlikely to be completed by next month, as scheduled. The contractors, Construcciones Vera, undertook to finish the upgrade in six months, starting in February, but the Town Hall admits progress has been delayed.

Businesses affected by the town centre work have reported a drop in turnover of up to 50 per cent, while traffic flow and parking have been severely affected. Concern has now been raised for the town's annual fair, an important element in the local economy.

LEGIONNAIRE'S IN MÁLAGA HOSPITAL

'No cause for alarm' after bacteria eliminated

By Dave Jamieson

There has been a Legionnaire's Disease scare at Málaga's Hospital Civil. Sources at Carlos Haya Hospital reported that a small quantity of the bacteria was detected last month, but that urgent steps were taken to avoid any patients or staff becoming infected. It is understood that routine preventative maintenance of the hot water supply to the hospital brought the risk to light on June 28, with the supply cut three days later, resulting in patients washing in cold water.
Health delegate José Luis Marcos assured the public there was no cause for alarm, and that the protocol established for such a situation had been adopted. He added that the spot where the problem arose had been identified and the bacteria eliminated.

The Hospital Civil presently has a number of geriatric patients who have been moved from the Hospital Ciudad Jardín while renovations are carried out there.

Critics have questioned the delay of three days between the discovery of the bacteria and the cutting of the hot water supply.

THE PUNTA CHULLERA DEATH TRAP

By David Eade

RESIDENTS OF PUNTA CHULLERA AREA OF MANILVA ARE OUTRAGED AFTER THE CONTRACTORS WIDENING THE ROAD OMITTED TO BUILD AN ACCELERATION LANE ONTO THE N-340.

The zone is situated on kilometre 143 of the N-340 between Estepona and Guadiaro. The access point for the urbanisations of La Paloma, Punta Chullera and La Chiripa is on a blind bend on the new dual-carriageway section of the N-340.

In widening the road the contractors have omitted to build an acceleration lane. There is a small entrance access but to leave the urbanisations motorists have to pull out directly onto the motorway on a sharp bend. The residents have now appealed to the Ministry of Public Works to incorporate an additional lane on what has been for years an accident black spot.

There are more than 200 residents in the three urbanisations of Punta Chullera. Pedro Koekebakker has lived there for 12 years and has seen more than 20 fatal accidents. Another resident, Ronald Tudor, was crushed by a lorry working on the road widening scheme and spent six weeks in hospital in intensive care.

Under the motorway law of the EU it has been necessary for the past six years for such roads to have a hard shoulder in case of emergency. The residents of Punta Chullera are now demanding that the Ministry of Public Works installs an access lane before the new road is inaugurated on August 2.

SABINILLAS RESIDENTS PROTEST

While in Sabinillas, the people are staging various actions to block traffic on the N-340 as it passes through their area of Manilva. Once the new dual carriageway is fully operational their neighbourhood will be cut in half.

As reported previously in the CDSN, Manilva Town Hall has already negotiated with the road construction company to make the N-340 into an urban road as it passes the municipality. Now the authorities and residents are demanding traffic lights be installed to allow people to cross the four lanes of traffic in safety.

THREE INJURED IN NERJA ACCIDENTS

Blackspot identified at autovía terminus

By Dave Jamieson

Three people were seriously injured in two related road accidents in Nerja last Friday. A car and a van collided head on at about 17.00 at the end of the autovía in Maro, after the car driver is believed not to have realised he had left the motorway and was travelling on the wrong side of a two-way road. A man and a woman were trapped in the car and had to be rescued by fire crews. The third injured was a Guardia Civil officer who was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic around the first accident. The accidents caused considerable traffic delays, with west-bound traffic being diverted through Maro and east-bound traffic stranded on the motorway. The eastern end of the coastal autovía is rapidly becoming an accident blackspot.

OF GUITARS, CAVERNS AND OUTDOOR JAZZ ...

A summer of culture on the eastern coast

By David Jamieson

MONDAY WILL SEE THE OPENING OF VÉLEZ MÁLAGA'S FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE GUITARRA AND THE FESTIVAL CUEVA DE NERJA WITH KIRI TE KANAWA AS STAR GUEST.

In Vélez-Málaga, the eleventh International Festival de Guitarra, now one of Europe's most important guitar events, runs until Tuesday 30. The Festival includes Master Classes, conferences by participating musicians and the tenth International Guitar competition. The winner will receive 3,000 euros, a Luthier Arturo Sanzano concert guitar valued at 3,900 euros, and will be invited to play in two concerts, in Turkey and in the U.S.A., as well as at next year's Vélez-Málaga Festival. Running in parallel are exhibitions featuring the 150th anniversary of Francisco Tarrega and a collection of classical guitars created by Anturo Sanzano and Antonio Vico.

KIRI TE KANAWA AT THE CAVES

Meanwhile, the 43rd Festival de la Cueva de Nerja opens on the same day in the magnificent caves near the village of Maro, running to Saturday 27. This year's opening concert on Monday will be a recital by the international soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, accompanied by Julian Reynolds. The Mompou Chamber Orchestra perform on Tuesday, and this year's flamenco night is staged by the Maria Pages Company on Wednesday. Next Thursday, the Spanish Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Miguel Roa present a concert of Spanish music, while the final two nights are devoted to dance with the Compañia Nacional de Danza II directed by Nacho Duato.

JAZZ IN ALMUÑECAR

The Annual Costa del Sol Jazz festival, presently running in Almuñécar, concludes on Saturday night with another concert in the Parque el Majuelo. The finale of the week, considered to be one of Andalucía's most important jazz events, is an appearance by legendary blues singer Taj Mahal.

NERJA NOISE BLAMED ON AIR PRESSURE

By Dave Jamieson

Nerja's chief of police believes noise from motorcycles is heightened by the local air pressure. Victor Trashorras said that, in the last local campaign, only five per cent of bikes were noted as making excessive noise, and it was local ambient conditions which increased the apparent level. He said that he intended to use a new system to control noise in the town centre, which involves placing apparatus in the houses of residents who complain, so that the air pressure and noise could properly be monitored.

Sr Trashorras was speaking in response to complaints from the area of Plaza Tutti Frutti and neighbouring streets, where late night bars attract young people into the early hours. The consequent noise during summer nights has now led to calls for the whole area, regarded as the centre of Nerja's night-life, to be moved elsewhere. One holidaymaker, who has spent vacations in Nerja for the last 20 years, said the noise increased each summer, and the accumulation of people in the Tutti Frutti are had become "a cancer without solution".

As well as noise, residents have complained that bars are not closing at the prescribed hours, but police chief Sr Trashorras commented that all bars are closing at the correct time and he had no knowledge to the contrary.

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