A WOMAN credited with prompting a life-saving pedestrian bridge on one of the Costa del Sol’s busiest roads will be honoured this month in Estepona.
Stella Bosworth returns on April 23 to the Bena Vista footbridge near El Paraiso, 42 years after her actions brought about its creation.
The Manchester native was working as a manager for UK travel firm The Experience Group in the 1980s, when it was flying up to 25 planeloads of tourists a week into Malaga.
During a visit in 1984, she was shocked by the dangers of the coastal road between Malaga and Estepona – then considered one of Europe’s deadliest stretches, with frequent fatal crashes.
READ MORE: Estepona details plans to complete last three segments of its Costa del Sol coastal path
At the same time, founder of The Experience Group Alan James was building the Bena Vista commercial centre across both sides of the road.
Bosworth drew a line and, horrified by the situation, told her boss she would resign from her position, unless a pedestrian footbridge was built.
After failing to secure backing – and crucially, funding – from the authorities, James took matters into his own hands, privately funding the footbridge, which was built in six months.
More than four decades on, it remains a vital crossing for locals and tourists and is widely credited with preventing countless accidents.
A ceremony will honour Bosworth’s role in what organisers call a life-saving intervention.
Meanwhile, local residents try to continue her legacy by campaigning for improvements to the bridge, including accessibility ramps for disabled users and pushchairs.
They have already raised €16,000 to fund these restorations.
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