The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility will begin work on Monday 30 March to install an artificial intelligence-based traffic light system at the Punta Prima–Rocío del Mar roundabout on the N-332, near the Torrevieja and Orihuela boundary. The project has a budget of €409,369, funded through the EU Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Partial traffic restrictions will be in place until the end of May to ensure safety.

The scheme will introduce an intelligent monitoring and traffic management system using machine learning and reinforcement learning. It will analyse real-time and historical traffic data to adjust signal timings automatically, aiming to improve flow and reduce congestion.

Works include installing traffic light poles at each access point, fitting cameras and traffic data collection devices, and implementing an AI control system capable of adapting signal cycles to actual traffic levels. The ministry said the project will also lay the groundwork for wider use of smart systems across the State Road Network.

The roundabout is a known congestion hotspot, particularly during Easter and the summer. In 2024, this stretch of the N-332, which has two lanes in each direction, recorded an average daily flow of 45,000 vehicles. Residents from Rocío del Mar, Señorío de Gomendio and Punta Prima rely on this junction as their main access to the national road.