The island has tripled its vehicles in 35 years, but major roads have not been expanded since 2014. A new fatal accident on the LZ-2 reopens the debate about outdated infrastructure.
The latest fatal accident on the LZ-2, between Yaiza and Playa Blanca, has once again put the spotlight on Lanzarote's road network. A couple died and a minor was seriously injured in an incident that, although still under investigation, has sparked public outrage. The island has almost 150,000 vehicles for a population nearing 170,000 inhabitants, yet the roads remain the same as they were three decades ago.
Decades of growth without expansions
The numbers are telling. In 35 years, the population has doubled and the vehicle fleet has tripled, according to data from the Cabildo of Lanzarote. However, the last major road project was the expansion of the Arrecife ring road over a decade ago. Since then, only isolated interventions have been carried out, such as the one on the LZ-3 between Costa Teguise and El Cable in 2014.
The result is a network designed for less than 40,000 vehicles that now bears triple the traffic. The congestion is particularly critical on two routes: the LZ-40, which connects Arrecife with the airport and Puerto del Carmen, and the LZ-2, which serves the tourist south. Both have been delayed for over a decade in their expansion projects.
Stalled projects: 40 million for the LZ-40 and a decade of waiting for the LZ-2
The duplication of the LZ-40 between Indelasa and El Toro, budgeted at 40 million euros, has been in processing for 15 years. The technical project and expropriations are complete, but the environmental impact report continues to hold up the work. During Ángel Víctor Torres's tenure as head of the Canary Islands Government, an urgent route was considered, but the ordinary procedure was ultimately chosen, where it has become stuck.
Worse is the case of the LZ-2 between Yaiza and Playa Blanca, a road over 30 years old that doesn't even have a drafted project. Estimates place its execution on a horizon of 10 to 15 years. As a temporary measure, improving the old road has been proposed, but without funding or deadlines. This route sees around a million passengers each year heading to Fuerteventura.
The Lanzarote Consortium for Security and Emergencies, through its manager Enrique Espinosa, has repeatedly warned:
“There is poor signage and it is a very dangerous road. Vehicles overtake at speeds above the limits.”Beyond recklessness, Espinosa points out structural deficiencies for the current volume of traffic.
A political consensus that is not advancing
All parties agree on the need for action, but differences over timelines and priorities block any progress. While some denounce decades of delays, others recall the administrative complexity and territorial protection. The result is that citizens remain trapped in daily traffic jams and dangerous stretches.
For the residents of Lanzarote, the situation translates into more time behind the wheel and greater risk. The LZ-40, for example, concentrates a large part of the work and tourist movements between Arrecife, the airport, Tías, and Puerto del Carmen. Driving on it at early hours or at sunset is an odyssey that many avoid by taking secondary detours, which are also congested.
The next step, according to sources from the Cabildo, is to resume pressure on the Canary Islands Government to expedite the environmental procedures for the LZ-40. In the meantime, drivers will continue to navigate roads that no longer correspond to the island they are on. As a Playa Blanca resident wryly puts it:
“We have 21st-century cars and 20th-century roads. And the worst part is that the 20th-century roads are already old.”
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