Business leaders in southern Tenerife have criticised the lack of progress on the long-promised third lane of the TF-1 motorway, warning that traffic congestion in the area has become a “mobility emergency”.

CEST (The Circle of Entrepreneurs and Professionals of South Tenerife) says seven months have passed since the Canary Islands Government officially approved the project to add a third lane between Las Chafiras and Las Américas, yet the work has still not gone out to tender.

The project, approved in November 2025, includes an investment of €175.4 million and an estimated construction period of 42 months.

“The south cannot keep waiting”

In a statement shared on social media, CEST said the south of Tenerife “cannot continue waiting” for what it describes as one of the island’s most important infrastructure projects.

CEST president Javier Cabrera claims that southern Tenerife “still isn’t a priority” for the regional government, pointing out that there have been no administrative updates regarding the start of the works since approval was granted last year.

The organisation argues that the ongoing delays are affecting workers, residents and businesses daily, while also damaging the experience of tourists visiting the the island.

According to the business group, traffic congestion on the TF-1 has evolved from being an occasional issue into a “structural mobility emergency”.

One of Tenerife’s busiest roads

The planned expansion between the new Oroteanda junction in Las Chafiras and Las Américas aims to increase motorway capacity, improve traffic flow and strengthen road safety along one of the busiest stretches of road in the Canary Islands.

The Government previously described the project as a strategic infrastructure priority due to the growing population and tourism pressure in southern Tenerife.

CEST insists the south remains one of Tenerife’s main economic and tourism engines and says infrastructure investment must reflect the area’s strategic importance.

The group is now calling on the regional government to provide “clarity, commitment and administrative agility” to prevent further delays to a project it considers essential for the island’s future development.