The AP-7 motorway is now fully open to traffic in both directions through Pilar de la Horadada, four days after intense downpours from DANA storm Adam flooded two tunnels on the Alicante-Cartagena route. The severe weather forced the complete closure of all four lanes from around 11 p.m. last Monday, 19th October.
Full circulation was restored on Friday following the reopening of the Cartagena-bound tunnel. This section suffered the worst impact from heavy mud accumulation, leaving several vehicles trapped inside during the flash flooding.
Traffic heading in the opposite direction, towards Alicante, had already resumed on Wednesday afternoon. That reopening followed nearly 48 hours of extensive cleaning, ground preparation, and safety system checks.
The crisis began shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday when a sudden storm dropped approximately 50 litres per square metre in just over 45 minutes across the south of Vega Baja. Floodwaters quickly inundated the two 800-metre-long tunnels, making all four lanes completely impassable.
The closure affected the motorway between kilometres 770 and 774. Throughout the disruption, the parallel N-332 road served as the primary diversion route, leading to several traffic jams over recent days.
Seven vehicles were trapped inside the submerged tunnels, requiring the rescue of 13 people. All individuals were brought to safety through a coordinated response involving the Guardia Civil, Local Police, and Civil Protection.
Water levels exceeded one metre in several areas. While most drivers and passengers managed to wade through chest-deep water to exit the tunnels unassisted, an elderly driver required help from bystanders to escape his vehicle.
The sheer force of the floodwaters shifted several cars. As the water subsided, vehicles were left blocking the carriageway, with some turned completely around to face oncoming traffic. These moments were captured in video footage recorded by those caught in the flood.
Heavy sediment accumulated predominantly in the Cartagena-bound tunnel, prolonging the removal of mud and abandoned vehicles compared to the Alicante-bound section.
The tunnels are situated in a trench between the town of Pilar de la Horadada and the coastal district of Torre de la Horadada. Due to this low-lying design, surface runoff from nearby urban developments and farmland that fails to drain into the local dry riverbed naturally gathers in this section of the motorway.
This incident marks a repeat of the severe flooding experienced during the DANA storm of September 2019, when rescue teams were forced to deploy jet skis and boats. Following those floods, an open stormwater drainage channel was constructed parallel to the tunnel. Although the infrastructure had functioned effectively for several years, it was unable to prevent the inundation caused by Monday’s storm.