If you live or work anywhere between Benalmádena and Torremolinos along the coast, you'll notice construction starting this month. Lane closures, parking restrictions, and night work noise. It runs through March 2026.

Here's what's happening and why it's worth the hassle: They're replacing the main water supply pipe that failed twice last summer, cutting water to 80,000+ people for 12-18 hours each time. The new pipe means no more emergency shutoffs when you're mid-shower or mid-meeting.

A 6-kilometer underground water pipeline running along the old N-340 coastal highway from Benalmádena to Torremolinos. Cost: €7.6 million. Contractor: Sánchez Domínguez-Sando. Timeline: December 2025 through March 2026.

The work happens mostly at night to keep daytime traffic moving. But expect periodic lane closures along the seafront stretch and restricted parking in the construction zones. Check Acosol — the regional water utility — website for weekly updates on which sections are affected.

The old pipe failed in June 2023, again in August 2023, and once more in January 2024. Each time: water cut for 12-18 hours across Benalmádena, Arroyo de la Miel, and Torremolinos. If you were here for any of those, you remember the bottled water runs and the email to clients explaining why you missed the morning call.

The new pipeline handles 30% more water volume and includes backup routing. That means if one section needs maintenance, water keeps flowing through alternate channels. No more crossed fingers hoping the pipe holds through summer.

This isn't isolated. Acosol committed €47 million across 2024-2025 for western Costa del Sol water infrastructure. This Benalmádena-Torremolinos link is the first piece. The expansion of the Estepona desalination plant comes next. Marbella reservoir upgrades follow.

The 2023 drought—when reservoir levels fell to 28% and water restrictions kicked in—scared the politicians enough to fund the upgrades finally. After twenty years of population growth, we’re now getting the infrastructure to match. Better late than never.

If you drive the N-340 between Benalmádena and Torremolinos regularly, Plan for occasional lane closures at night and find alternate parking if you're a seafront resident. The disruption is real but manageable.

If you're renting or own property in the affected zone: "They're installing a €7.6 million water main upgrade" is a significantly better conversation with tenants or buyers than "the water cuts out sometimes in summer." Document the work dates and communicate proactively.

If you're evaluating the long-term viability of the Costa del Sol, Infrastructure investment is the signal that separates a tourist trap from an actual place to live. €47 million into water reliability, €8.8 million into Estepona hospital capacity, €15+ million into fiber expansion. The region is late, but they're serious now.

Public hospital imaging: seven-month backlog. Traffic at peak season: still terrible. Water infrastructure: finally being fixed. None of this is perfect.

But the investment is real, and the trajectory is clear. The coast grew faster than the pipes, roads, and hospitals could handle for 20 years. Now they're playing catch-up, and they have the budget to do it properly.

You navigate the friction by knowing which systems work today (private clinics, vetted contractors, off-peak travel, alternate routes during construction) while the region builds capacity that matches its population.

Three months of parking headaches and night noise for a water system that doesn't fail when 80,000 people need it simultaneously? That's a trade worth making.

Three months of parking friction for a water system that works when 80,000 people turn on the tap simultaneously. They're two decades late matching the infrastructure to the population, but €47 million says they're serious now. Your shower won't cut out mid-rinse this summer. Worth it.

See you on the paseo — A. and the always hydrated Waypoint Sur team

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