Walter Finch
MALAGA City Council has unveiled ambitious plans to turn the dry bed of the Guadalmedina River into a chain of landscaped pedestrian ‘plaza bridges’ linking both sides of the city.
The project will see five of the green bridges built between La Goleta and Santo Domingo, creating new public spaces while maintaining the river’s role in flood protection.
As part of the plan, key traffic routes such as Avenida Fatima and Avenida Rosaleda will be moved underground, making way for a wide green corridor in the heart of the city.
Councillor Maria Penelope Gomez Jimenez said the initiative would ‘gain citizen space’ and make it easier to go back and forth across the river.
“We want to bury the avenues of Fatima and Rosaleda and maintain the main function of the river, to protect the city in case of flooding,” said Gomez.
“This way, we will create a great green corridor, we will gain more space for residents and improve the connection between both banks of the river,” she said.
The scheme has been in the works for around five years and forms part of a broader urban revamp that at one time included the planned modernisation of La Rosaleda stadium ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
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However, Malaga pulled out of hosting 2030 World Cup matches last month – the city hall and the Junta will now reconsider La Rosaleda’s future without World Cup deadlines.
City planners say the changes will tackle long-standing urban challenges while adding much-needed greenery to the centre.
No start date for construction has been confirmed, but the council insists work is continuing to make the project a reality.
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