Anyone who has driven through Los Cristianos lately already knows the situation.
Roundabouts clogged.
Traffic barely moving.
Tourist buses fighting taxis for space.
And everyone wondering whose idea it was to squeeze half the south through one junction.
Now the Cabildo says a major redesign is coming.
Avenida de Chayofita Set to Go Underground
The Cabildo de Tenerife has approved an expansion of the long-discussed Los Cristianos interchange project, including:
🚧 The undergrounding of Avenida de Chayofita
🚗 Expansion of the Los Cristianos interchange
🛣 New traffic connections around El Mojón
The updated project now extends the underground section further than originally planned.
Instead of stopping at Avenida Juan Carlos I, the tunnel will now continue as far as:
📍 Calle Pedregales
Why the Project Matters
According to the Cabildo, the Chayofita roundabout currently handles:
🚘 More than 6,000 vehicles per hour
Which honestly surprises nobody who has sat there melting in traffic trying to move 400 metres.
The area faces constant pressure from:
⚓ Los Cristianos port traffic
🏨 Tourism-related transport
🏠 Daily resident commuting
🚛 Commercial activity
🏗 Future developments in El Mojón
All combining into one fairly permanent traffic headache.
New Access Roads and Traffic Distribution
The updated plan also includes:
🛣 New entrances and exits connected to El Mojón
🚗 Additional lanes towards Avenida Juan Carlos I
🚗 Improved access to Avenida Hermano Pedro (TF-655)
The idea is to distribute traffic more efficiently and avoid simply moving congestion from one junction to another.
Which Tenerife has occasionally been quite talented at doing.
Technical Systems Also Being Upgraded
Beyond the road layout itself, the project includes updates to:
📡 Telecommunications systems
💧 Drainage infrastructure
🔥 Fire prevention systems
🚨 Security systems
All integrated into the future interchange design.
Budget Increased to Over €600,000
The drafting contract for the project was originally awarded for:
💶 €481,500
But following the approved modifications, the total now rises to:
💶 €601,875
The technical development phase is expected to take:
🕒 Five months
Part of a Bigger Mobility Strategy
The Cabildo says this project forms part of Tenerife’s wider mobility plans, alongside projects including:
🚌 La Laguna Interchange renovation
🌉 Padre Anchieta pedestrian bridge connections
🚗 New access roads to Güímar Industrial Estate
As the island continues trying to deal with traffic levels that clearly outgrew the road system years ago.
Worth Knowing
Los Cristianos has become one of the busiest pressure points in southern Tenerife.
So while digging up roads for another major project probably won’t thrill drivers in the short term…
Most people would probably accept temporary chaos if it eventually means escaping Chayofita without ageing visibly.