AP-7 tunnel at Pilar reopens in both directions after four-day closure

The AP-7 motorway has reopened in both directions through Pilar de la Horadada, four days after flooding forced the closure of its two tunnels and left 13 people trapped in their vehicles.

The Cartagena-bound lanes reopened on Friday afternoon. Traffic towards Alicante had resumed on Wednesday, after almost 48 hours of cleaning, repairs and checks on the tunnel’s safety systems.

The closure began at about 11pm on Monday, when torrential rain associated with Storm DANA Adam flooded both tunnels on the Alicante–Cartagena route. Around 50 litres of rain per square metre fell in just over 45 minutes in the south of the Vega Baja, leaving all four lanes impassable.

The affected stretch, between kilometre markers 770 and 774, remained closed while crews cleared mud and debris and inspected the tunnels. The N-332, which runs parallel to the motorway, served as the main alternative route and experienced traffic delays.

Thirteen people rescued

Seven vehicles were caught in the flooding and 13 people had to be evacuated. They were rescued safely by the Civil Guard, Local Police and Civil Protection.

Water rose above a metre in some areas. Most of those inside the vehicles managed to get out and leave the tunnels, despite water reaching chest height. An elderly driver needed help from others to escape from his car.

The force of the floodwater shifted several vehicles. As the water receded, some cars were left blocking the road, while others had been turned to face the opposite direction from which they had been travelling.

The Cartagena-bound tunnel suffered the heaviest build-up of sediment, delaying its reopening. Crews continued removing mud and vehicles from that section after the Alicante-bound lanes had returned to service.

Drainage concerns

The tunnels lie between Pilar de la Horadada town and the coastal area of Torre de la Horadada. The motorway runs through a cutting at this point, where runoff from nearby urban areas and farmland can collect if it is not carried away by the dry river channel that crosses the town.

Flooding has affected the tunnels before. During the September 2019 DANA, the scale of the flooding was so severe that jet skis and boats were used in rescue operations.

An open stormwater channel was built alongside the tunnel after that event. It worked for several years but did not prevent flooding during Monday’s storm.

The Ministry of Transport completed safety improvements on this stretch of the AP-7 less than a year ago. On Tuesday, the motorway concessionaire, Ausur, told Pilar de la Horadada mayor José María Pérez that it also has a project planned to improve stormwater drainage in the tunnels.

See also: Thirteen Rescued After AP-7 Tunnels Flood in Pilar de la Horadada

AP-7 Tunnel to Reopen Towards Alicante on Wednesday, but Cartagena-Bound Lanes Remain Closed

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