Autovía do Salnés summer traffic tops 40,000

The Autovía do Salnés is already carrying more than 40,000 vehicles a day in summer on its busiest stretches near Sanxenxo, according to a May 20 report by Faro de Vigo. The figures add fresh detail to a traffic problem that has shaped access to Sanxenxo, O Grove and A Lanzada during peak holiday periods. The same report said the PO-308, the coastal road linking Pontevedra with Sanxenxo and A Lanzada, moves around 15,000 vehicles a day on some sections and more than 16,000 between Poio and A Seara. Galicia’s regional government has already moved ahead with a broader road project in the area, formally declaring improvements to the VG-4.1 and PO-308 at A Lanzada to be of autonomous interest on Dec. 29, 2025. ### Where is the pressure highest? Sanxenxo and the approaches to A Lanzada sit at the center of the heaviest summer flows. Faro de Vigo said the Autovía do Salnés passes 40,000 daily vehicles in summer, making it one of the clearest bottlenecks for traffic heading into the resort area. The road is the main high-capacity link for visitors arriving from the AP-9 corridor and from inland parts of Pontevedra province. (farodevigo.es) The PO-308 adds a second layer of strain because it works as both a through road and a local access route. Faro de Vigo said the road records average daily traffic of about 15,000 vehicles, with more than 16,000 on the section between Poio and A Seara. That matters because the same corridor also serves beaches, residential areas, hospitality businesses and local deliveries. (farodevigo.es) ### Why does the PO-308 matter so much? The PO-308 runs along the coast from Pontevedra through Poio and into Sanxenxo, connecting dense local traffic with seasonal tourist demand. That makes it different from a bypass: drivers heading to beaches, hotels, homes and town centers often end up sharing the same road space. Faro de Vigo’s traffic figures point to that overlap directly. (farodevigo.es) A March 26 Faro de Vigo report also described the PO-308 as the road in Galicia with the most accidents during Easter travel in the last decade, citing a study by Fundación Línea Directa and Fesvial. That report identified a 10.4-kilometer section between A Seara in Poio and Areas in Sanxenxo with eight accidents during that holiday period between 2015 and 2024. The accident data do not measure summer congestion, but they show how exposed the corridor becomes when traffic surges on holiday weekends. (farodevigo.es) ### What has the Xunta de Galicia done so far? Alfonso Rueda, president of the Xunta de Galicia, said in September 2025 that the regional government would devote about 40 million euros to expand the Autovía do Salnés and improve connections in the zone. The project includes work on the VG-4.1, the PO-308, a pedestrian and cycling path through A Lanzada and environmental measures, according to the Xunta. (farodevigo.es) The Consello da Xunta took the next formal step on Dec. 29, 2025, when it declared the project of autonomous interest. The official resolution, published in the Diario Oficial de Galicia on Jan. 9, 2026, covers the “improvement of functionality, capacity and environmental integration” of the VG-4.1 and PO-308 in the A Lanzada area, in the municipalities of O Grove and Sanxenxo. (xunta.gal) ### What does this mean for summer travel into Sanxenxo? More than 40,000 vehicles a day on the Autovía do Salnés and more than 16,000 on parts of the PO-308 mean the road network is carrying both destination traffic and local circulation at the same time. For visitors, that usually shows up as queues at approach points to Sanxenxo and A Lanzada. For businesses and service operators, it means deliveries, staff commutes and customer access are tied to the same constrained corridors. (xunta.gal) The Xunta has framed its response as both a mobility and environmental project. The Jan. 9, 2026 resolution says the plan is intended to improve road capacity and broader mobility while preserving environmental values in a sensitive coastal area. That language is important because the A Lanzada corridor has been debated not only as a traffic issue, but also as a land-use and environmental one. (farodevigo.es) ### What comes next in the project? The Jan. 9, 2026 publication in the Diario Oficial de Galicia is the current formal reference point for the project’s status. The Xunta’s September 2025 presentation said the road and related works would be processed under the autonomous-interest framework, with the VG-4.1 and PO-308 improvements centered on Sanxenxo, O Grove and A Lanzada. Future milestones will be published through Xunta planning and procurement channels tied to project code PO/25/199.01. (xunta.gal) (xunta.gal)