Tom Ewart Smith
FED-UP residents of the Alpujarras mountains in southern Spain have staged a dramatic roadside protest today over what they describe as years of government inaction on a dangerously neglected road.
Dozens of protestors blocked the A-4132 between Orgiva and Bubion, a winding 20 km mountain route that connects a number of rural villages, including Pampaneira and Capileira, 65 kilometres south of Granada city.
The road is a lifeline for locals, tourists and workers alike – but campaigners say it’s being left to crumble.
“The road has been abandoned for the past four years,” said Richard Riley, 54, a legal advisor and resident of Pampaneira who helped organise the protest.
“We have decided to take matters into our own hands with this protest,” he told the Olive Press.
The demonstration began at 11am and continued into the afternoon, with protestors blocking the road at five-minute intervals.
Vehicles were forced to stop as locals handed out leaflets detailing the risks posed by the road’s deteriorating condition.
“This is a risk to personal safety,” Riley explained, noting that he knows multiple people who’ve suffered burst tyres or damaged suspensions on the road – including himself.
He uses the road daily to take his son and daughter to school, both of whom were at the protest helping distribute flyers.
Images from the scene show protestors holding a large banner reading ‘Enough abandonment, the forest road is deteriorating. We demand solutions for our safety, for our roads’ – while standing in the middle of the tarmac.
Others on the roadside waved placards declaring ‘A decent road now!’ and ‘Without safe access, the future is dark’.
Despite the appearance of the Guardia Civil, who informed protestors they could not block traffic, the mood remained upbeat.
“The response has been excellent,” Riley said. “We’re still getting support.”
Locals say they’ve repeatedly requested repairs, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, traffic on the road is set to surge as the tourist season ramps up.
Riley estimates the daily flow of 150-200 cars could double in the coming months.
The road is also used by agricultural workers, local delivery drivers, and even visitors to the O Sel Ling Buddhist retreat centre in the nearby hills.
But according to Riley, the A-4132 is the only road in the area that has been left unmaintained.
“You need a 4×4 to make it safely up and down,” he said, adding that the poor condition of the road also poses a significant fire risk.
As cars queued in both directions, campaigners vowed to keep pushing for action.
“We just want safe access to our homes and communities,” Riley said. “We’re not asking for luxury – just for basic infrastructure to be maintained.”
