A-7 Sound Barriers and Closed Exits: What Is Changing on the Road Through Marbella and Estepona

If you drive along the coast between Estepona and Marbella, you have probably noticed tall metal walls appearing next to the motorway. Those are acoustic screens, sound barriers to keep traffic noise away from the homes nearby. There are three separate projects: the State’s screens on the AP-7 bypass behind Marbella, the screens planned on the A-7 at the eastern entrance to Marbella as part of the Four Seasons project, and Estepona’s own screens at Juan Benítez. On top of that, from Tuesday 22 September 2026 the State closed several A-7 exits in Elviria and Las Chapas, including the Golden Beach link, which has changed how thousands of residents get home.

Here is what is happening, where, and what it means if you live near the road or are thinking of buying there.

First, which road is which

Locals use the names loosely, so it helps to be clear:

• The A-7 is the free road along the coast, the old N-340, that runs right through Marbella and Estepona with lots of exits into the urbanisations.
• The AP-7 is the toll motorway higher up. Around Marbella it runs behind the town as the “variante de Marbella”, the Marbella bypass.

Both belong to the State, through the Ministry of Transport, not to the town halls. Spain’s Roads Law (Ley 37/2015) gives the Ministry the power to limit, reorder or close accesses on State roads. That is why the town halls can ask and complain, but the decisions are made in Madrid.

The big one: 28 sound barriers on the Marbella bypass

This is the largest project, on the AP-7 behind Marbella.

The idea behind the ivy is nice: one plant every three square metres, so that over time the metal disappears under a green wall. Most screens were placed on walls or at the top of the slopes, away from the road itself, which the Ministry says gives better noise reduction for the homes around.

How it is going. Slowly. The works caused lane and exit closures through 2025 and into 2026. In April 2026 the local press reported the works had been almost stopped for about three months, and exit 1043 (towards the Ojén road and the bullring area of Marbella) was closed at night for a week. On 31 July the Ministry confirmed the works were still under way and closed the km 1044 slip road towards Málaga for a night in early August, sending traffic round through Avenida Arias de Velasco, Calle Serenata and Avenida Duque de Lerma to join at km 1043. The Ministry has not published a completion date, so if you live along the bypass, expect some more work before it is done.

Not everyone is happy with the result. Some residents say the finished screens attract graffiti and that the entrance to town looks unfinished, and some question how much noise they really take away. On 25 September 2026 Marbella’s full council voted to ask the Ministry to finish the screens properly: real planting with suitable species, irrigation and replacement of plants that do not take, plus a regular plan for cleaning, graffiti removal and repairs. Others living right next to the motorway will simply be glad of a quieter night.

The eastern entrance: screens that come with the Four Seasons

At the other end of town, the A-7 itself will get acoustic screens on both sides of the road at the eastern entrance to Marbella. These are not part of the Ministry’s plan. They are part of the approved urbanisation works for the future Four Seasons Marbella resort, which Marbella’s council approved in February 2026, together with:

• a new pedestrian bridge near Calle Teniente Riera,
• a longer service road,
• a new underpass and a roundabout.

This stretch, near Río Real and Los Monteros, is also where the Oakmond longevity resort is being built on the old Incosol site. So for people living there, the next few years bring a lot of change, and a quieter road is part of it.

Estepona: the town hall did its own

Estepona did not wait for the State. In November 2023 the Ayuntamiento started installing its own acoustic screens in Juan Benítez, the growing area in the northwest of town between the AP-7, the Francisco Muñoz Pérez football stadium and Avenida Juan Carlos I.

• Budget: €622,974 including VAT, built by Sedinfra.
• Around four months of works.
• To make it possible, the town declared the area a Special Acoustic Protection Zone, which the State road authority required before it would allow the screens.

It is a good example of how Estepona works: find the problem, get the permission, fix it. The same town hall has also been cutting taxes after paying off its debt. If you like the idea of living in the heart of Estepona, have a look at our guides to the Casco Antiguo and to Estepona as a whole.

And further east, the State finished another set of screens in May 2026 between Málaga and Torremolinos: three screens of about 500, 690 and 650 metres, 3 to 4.5 metres high, for €3.3 million. The press also mentions works in Benahavís, though we could not find official details for that stretch yet.

September 2026: A-7 exits closed in Elviria and Las Chapas

This is the part that affects daily life right now. On Tuesday 22 September 2026, the State road authority (Demarcación de Carreteras del Estado en Andalucía Oriental) closed A-7 accesses in the east of Marbella:

• The accesses at km 190.7 and 191.15, direction Barcelona, in Elviria.
• The link between the A-7 and Golden Beach, in the Las Chapas district.

More followed in the same week. On Thursday 24 September another access was closed at Carril del Relojero, one of the connections Las Chapas residents use every day to get home and to reach some of the busiest beaches in town.

What it means in practice. If you used to turn off at one of these points, you now have to carry on to the junction by the Hotel Don Carlos and Avenida de España, turn around, and reach your home, hotel or beach through the roads inside the urbanisations. Residents say it adds distance, and every closed exit puts more cars on that junction and on inner roads that were not designed for the extra traffic.

Why it happened. The Ministry’s project to close the accesses at km 190.7 and 191.15 was drawn up in March 2020, and the Ministry says direct exits like these are a safety risk, because drivers have to stop and then join a two-lane road without a proper acceleration lane. The closure of access 1034 in southern Elviria was requested by Acciona Real Estate in December 2025, linked to its residential project at Víbora Baja. The road authority put the plan on public display, no objections were filed, and the town hall certified that on 15 May 2026. The authorisation was the State’s, as the Roads Law requires.

What the town hall wants. What upset people is how it was done. Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, said the town hall and the neighbours found out on the same day. She visited Elviria on 23 September and asked the Ministry to reopen the accesses until there is a real alternative, and to inform residents before any further closures. The town hall is working on a service road of about 12 kilometres through the area, to be built as part of the new developments there and paid for by their developers. Until that exists, the inner roads carry the traffic.

As of 29 September the Ministry has not publicly answered the request. We will update this post when it does.

The bigger picture. In May 2025 the Ministry commissioned WSP Spain-Apia, for €835,000, to study improvements to the whole A-7 between Torremolinos and Torreguadiaro, including widening and better links with the AP-7. The study was due in May 2026. It is now four months late and no new date has been given.

What this means if you live here, or want to

A few practical thoughts, from someone who has lived on this coast all her life:

• Noise is worth checking in person. When you view a home near the A-7 or AP-7, go at rush hour and again in the evening, with the windows open. A listing never tells you what the road sounds like.
• Screens help, but distance and height help more. Homes a little higher up or a few streets back from the road are usually quieter than any screen can make a front-row flat.
• Ask about access. In Elviria and Las Chapas, check how you actually get in and out now. A 30-second exit can become a five-minute loop, and more closures may follow as the area develops.
• Think ahead. At the eastern entrance to Marbella, the screens come with two big resorts and new infrastructure. Today’s building site is tomorrow’s quieter, better connected neighbourhood.

Not sure which area suits you? Our Find My Area tool is a good place to start, and you can browse properties in Marbella and properties in Estepona.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there big walls along the motorway in Marbella?

They are acoustic screens, built by the Ministry of Transport to reduce traffic noise for the homes near the AP-7 Marbella bypass. There are 28 of them, about 6.6 km in total, meant to be covered with ivy over time.

How much are the sound barriers on the AP-7 in Marbella costing?

The contract was awarded for €13.1 million including VAT, paid with EU Recovery funds. Local media report the final cost has risen because of delays.

When will the AP-7 sound barrier works in Marbella finish?

The Ministry has not published a completion date. It confirmed on 31 July 2026 that the works were still under way.

Which A-7 exits were closed in Marbella in September 2026?

On 22 September 2026 the State closed the accesses at km 190.7 and 191.15 (direction Barcelona) in Elviria and the A-7 link with Golden Beach in Las Chapas. On 24 September a further access at Carril del Relojero was closed. Drivers now use the Hotel Don Carlos junction to turn around.

Will the Golden Beach A-7 exit reopen?

Marbella town hall has asked the Ministry to reopen the closed accesses until a service road and the inner road works are finished. As of 29 September 2026 the Ministry had not publicly answered. The closures were planned years ago on safety grounds, so a permanent reopening is unlikely.

Is Estepona getting sound barriers too?

Yes. Estepona’s town hall installed its own acoustic screens in Juan Benítez, a €622,974 project started in November 2023, after declaring the area a Special Acoustic Protection Zone.

Will the A-7 at the Four Seasons Marbella site get sound barriers?

Yes. The approved urbanisation works for the Four Seasons project include acoustic screens on both sides of the A-7 at the eastern entrance to Marbella.

Who is responsible for the A-7 and AP-7?

Both belong to the State, managed by the Ministry of Transport through its regional road authority. Town halls cannot decide on exits or screens on these roads, but they can request changes.

Sources: Ministry of Transport, “Transportes adjudica las obras para reducir el ruido de la autopista AP-7, a su paso por Marbella” and “Transportes avanza con las obras para reducir el ruido en la variante de Marbella de la AP-7” (July 31, 2026); Ministry of Transport, completion of the Málaga-Torremolinos screens (May 25, 2026); Viva / Andalucía Información on traffic works on the bypass; Marbella Directo (April 21, 2026; September 24, September 24 and September 25, 2026); La Noción (September 23 and September 24, 2026); The Olive Press (September 25, 2026); Ayuntamiento de Estepona, “El Ayuntamiento inicia las obras para la instalación de las pantallas… Juan Benítez” (November 14, 2023); Diario Sur on the Four Seasons urbanisation works. Featured map: Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.