AP-7 tunnel in Pilar de la Horadada floods again: 13 people rescued after €3.5 million modernisation

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The tunnel, which has a known history of flooding, was inundated once again. Modernisation works costing €3.5 million were completed in December 2025. The latest incident raises questions about the effectiveness of the measures taken and the safety of motorists.

Drivers trapped by floodwater

On the evening of 19 October, heavy rain created a dangerous situation on the AP-7 motorway near Pilar de la Horadada, in the south of Alicante province. Thirteen people became trapped in their vehicles after floodwater inundated the tunnel.

According to published reports, around 50 litres of rain fell per square metre in approximately 45 minutes. The intensity of the rainfall caused water to accumulate rapidly in the underground section of the road.

Such conditions can pose a genuine threat to life. Vehicles may become immobilised, leaving occupants without a safe way out. All 13 people were evacuated and, according to media reports, were in good condition.

A flooding problem known for years

The AP-7 tunnel near Pilar de la Horadada has been in service since 2001 and is 794 metres long.

The problem is not limited to the October 2026 incident. The municipality’s flood-protection plan describes weaknesses in the drainage system: surface runoff flows into a motorway drainage channel whose capacity can prove insufficient under certain conditions. This can lead to flooding inside the tunnel and the suspension of traffic.

The risk of flooding, therefore, had been identified before the latest incident. The central question is what measures were taken to prevent such a situation from happening again.

€3.5 million spent on modernisation

In December 2025, Spain’s Ministry of Transport announced the completion of modernisation works at the tunnel, with a budget of €3.5 million.

The work included upgrades to lighting, video surveillance, incident-detection systems, public-address equipment, evacuation alarms and fire protection, as well as the installation of barriers to close the tunnel entrances.

However, the renewed flooding in October 2026 shows that the modernisation did not prevent another incident of this kind.

The published list of works does not confirm that the rainwater drainage system was completely reconstructed. It would therefore be premature to claim that the completed works were intended to eliminate the flooding problem altogether. Nevertheless, important questions remain: what engineering measures were designed to protect the tunnel from floodwater, and why did they fail to prevent this latest incident?

Which companies were involved in the modernisation?

Documents relating to the 2023–2025 modernisation identify TPF Getinsa Euroestudios, which prepared the project, and Constructora San José, which carried out the works. The concessionaire Autopista del Sol is also named in the documentation.

These details relate to the modernisation project. They do not, by themselves, establish who was responsible for the tunnel’s original design or prove that the companies named were responsible for the latest flooding.

Nevertheless, the recurrence of the problem after the works calls for a public explanation. What deficiencies were the works intended to address? Were specific measures planned to protect against torrential rain? How was the effectiveness of the completed solutions assessed?

An engineering solution has already been proposed

The municipal flood-protection plan sets out measures intended to reduce the amount of rainwater reaching the tunnel. These include a temporary water-storage area, a drainage collector, remotely controlled automated gates, an emergency overflow and equipment to drain and clean the system.

The preliminary cost of this package of measures was estimated at approximately €1.17 million, excluding VAT.

However, the inclusion of a proposal in a municipal document does not mean that it has been implemented. It remains necessary to establish whether funding was allocated, whether the works were carried out and which body is responsible for their delivery.

Will the tunnel be closed before the next storm?

Following the incident, the mayor of Pilar de la Horadada announced that he would again seek preventive closure of the AP-7 tunnel whenever an orange weather alert is issued.

Such a measure could reduce the risk to motorists if the entrances are closed before dangerous flooding begins. It would not, however, address the underlying cause of the water accumulation.

The question now falls to the Ministry of Transport, the concessionaire and those responsible for operating the motorway: will the engineering causes of the recurring floods be addressed, or will motorists’ safety continue to depend primarily on closing the tunnel in time?

The rescue of thirteen people demonstrates the work of the emergency services. But safety infrastructure should first and foremost prevent situations in which people need to be rescued.