Torrevieja to Remove Illegal Roundabout After 20 Years

Torrevieja Council has approved a project to demolish the controversial roundabout outside IES Las Lagunas secondary school on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, bringing an end to a 20-year planning dispute involving an illegally constructed junction, numerous road accidents and a court ruling ordering its removal.

The roundabout was built in 2006 by property developer Jost, responsible for the Sector 13-A-3 development, without the necessary planning permission. Despite being constructed on public land and failing to meet appropriate road safety standards, the infrastructure was accepted by the council and has remained in use ever since.

The latest resolution, signed on 21 September 2026 by Urban Planning, Accessibility and Urban Services Councillor Sandra Sánchez, approves a demolition project prepared by CM Proyectos e Instalaciones 2017 SL under a minor contract.

A Dangerous Junction Beside a School

The roundabout has long been criticised for its inadequate dimensions and dangerous layout.

Considered too small for the four-lane Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, it sits approximately two metres above the level of the neighbouring school and restricts access along the service road serving IES Las Lagunas.

Numerous accidents have occurred at the junction over the years. Repeated vehicle impacts have damaged and displaced the double safety barrier on the carriageway heading towards central Torrevieja. In one particularly alarming incident, a vehicle left the road and ended up inside the school grounds.

The infrastructure was originally constructed to provide access to a commercial area without the developer having to surrender land within its own development for the necessary road improvements.

Council Ordered to Pay for Developer’s Illegal Works

Although the roundabout was constructed by a private developer, responsibility for its removal ultimately fell on Torrevieja Council.

Formal planning enforcement proceedings were not initiated until 2012, six years after construction. The developer subsequently challenged the council through the courts.

In 2017, a judicial ruling established that the municipality was responsible for restoring the site to compliance with planning regulations because it had formally accepted the infrastructure in 2006.

The ruling effectively left taxpayers facing the cost of removing a junction originally constructed illegally by a private company.

At the time, demolition costs were estimated at approximately €148,000.

Previous Demolition Plans Stalled in 2019

The council had already prepared a technical demolition project and initiated procurement procedures in 2019. However, the process subsequently stalled.

The Public Sector Procurement Portal continued to show the tender announcement from June 2019 without any visible progress.

According to sources within the PP administration, the municipal auditor raised objections to the proposed procurement procedure following changes to public contracting legislation, preventing the work from proceeding through the intended negotiated contract.

The issue has remained unresolved ever since, despite the continuing safety concerns surrounding the school.

Although wider road safety improvements have been introduced along Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas to reduce vehicle speeds, the roundabout itself has remained unchanged.

The surrounding area, which includes artificial grass close to the carriageway, is also frequented by schoolchildren.

Two Decades Waiting for a Solution

The approval of the latest demolition project represents a significant step towards resolving a planning controversy that has stretched across several municipal administrations.

It also raises questions about the length of time taken to enforce planning regulations when the council itself bears responsibility for an unauthorised development.

Torrevieja routinely takes enforcement action against private individuals and businesses for planning infringements, ranging from minor unauthorised alterations to the construction of entire buildings without permission.

In this case, however, an illegal structure on public land has remained in place for two decades, despite a court ruling requiring its removal.

While the latest decision authorises the demolition project, it does not establish that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work or confirm when demolition will begin.

For pupils, parents and motorists using Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, the approval offers renewed hope that one of Torrevieja’s longest-running road planning disputes may finally be approaching a resolution.

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