Costa del Sol holidaymakers and property seekers could soon be gifted an improved transport system for navigating the area, following proposals from the regional council for a new motorway link.

Plans for the new toll road between the Costa del Sol and Ronda have been released by the Junta de Andalucia, with the regional body promising that the new road would cut journey time from the current 50 minutes to only 22.

Opposition groups have criticised the plans, saying the new road would adversely affect the Sierra de las Nieves mountains, but the Junta was adamant that traffic problems on the existing coastal road needed to be resolved.

The Andalusian counsellor for public works, Concepcion Gutierrez, said that the new toll road, which could be ready in four and a half years, offered great opportunities for local businesses and promised to boost the local economy.

If the road does come into being by 2012, the €350 million (£252 million) project will involve 26 viaducts, a large suspension bridge and a 1.6 km tunnel – a testament to the rugged and breathtaking landscape of the Costa del Sol.

The region, holding resort towns like Marbella and Estepona, is a timeless favourite with UK property hunters and requires a robust transport network to serve the thousands of holidaymakers arriving every year.