The Torrevieja City Council has requested that the Valencian regional government authorize a new access route to the Torrevieja University Hospital from the CV-95 road, aiming to reduce daily traffic congestion that affects both local residents and the growing number of health tourism visitors.
Currently, the hospital relies on a single roundabout entrance, which handles traffic from up to 20,000 vehicles daily in the residential areas of Los Balcones and Los Altos. The proposed access would function as an auxiliary deceleration lane, initially intended to provide entry from Torrevieja–Los Balcones toward the hospital parking area, near kilometer 26 of the CV-96, next to the Torremiguel irrigation access road.
The hospital’s current layout has long restricted direct access: although a road exit existed when the facility opened in 2006, it was later closed with a barrier. The council’s Traffic and Public Works departments have now included plans to reopen this access, incorporating a small island and asphalt improvements into their roadwork contracts.
However, the regional government has requested a more detailed project plan before granting approval, meaning the work has not yet been authorized. Local police and traffic units have repeatedly highlighted the urgency of this solution, especially during the summer high season, when congestion along the single-lane stretch from the hospital roundabout to La Veleta is particularly severe. Ambulances must navigate carefully through traffic, underscoring the public safety implications.
While the Generalitat has promised for several terms to widen the CV-95, only a small 800-meter stretch has been allocated for duplication in recent project planning, and earlier funding of €5 million for full expansion in 2024 has been removed. New funding strategies, including public-private collaboration, are reportedly under consideration.
Supporting Health Tourism and Active Mobility
The council is also planning pedestrian and bike paths to connect the hospital with the Los Balcones residential area and the cemetery, improving safe access for patients, visitors, and health tourism participants. However, these projects await authorization from state and local landowners and must align with potential road expansion plans.
Improving road access is seen as critical for patient safety, timely care, and the region’s health tourism infrastructure.
