On 28 July the secretary of state for Planning and Infrastructure, Víctor Morlán, accompanied FCC Construcción Chairman José Mayor on a tour of the new section of dual carriageway A-4 that runs through Despeñaperros Natural Park.

The construction work, which will be entirely finished early next year, forms part of a large-scale project for a major road connecting southern Spain to the centre of the peninsula and making the Despeñaperros Valley the breathtaking gateway to Andalucía.

The project has a budget of over 245 million euro, and it includes the construction of three northbound and three southbound lanes, which will improve the flow of traffic between Santa Elena, Jaén, and Venta de Cárdenas, Ciudad Real, while respecting the environment.

The main trunk is 9.4 kilometres long, beginning at Santa Elena and running to the Aldeaquemada junction in Despeñaperros Valley. From that point on the road rises on its way to Ciudad Real at an inclination of 3%, to meet dual carriageway A-4 at a point near Venta de Cárdenas. The Andalucía-bound lanes will open early in 2012.

Due to the site's location, environmental measures have been taken from the very start, aimed not only at minimizing the impact of the construction work, but also at improving the habitat of the indigenous animal life, as part of the firm commitment shared by the government and FCC.