Castile and Leon
End the unbearable delay of the Duero highway
There are 467 kilometers separating Zamora, Alcañices, and the closest border with Portugal near Soria. On paper, this route should stand as a crucial link connecting Aragon to mainland Europe through Catalonia. In practice, however, the distance feels stretched into 467 light years because the project lags far behind schedule. Three decades have passed since a bold plan for National Highway 122, also known as European Route E-82, emerged to connect Portugal’s economic engine in Porto with France. The road would traverse the entire Duero Valley across four Castile and León provinces, offering the fastest route from Porto to the French border. The question remains whether Spain’s internal politics would have altered the outcome if speed had been the priority from the start. What is certain is the recurring political drama that surrounds a highway long on rhetoric but short on construction.
The road now carries heavy traffic, yet its many crossings and ongoing hazards mark it as one of Spain’s most dangerous corridors. The government led by Pedro Sánchez boasted of starting 43 kilometers of the Duero corridor and promised completion within the legislative term. The recent General Government Budget allocated over 100 million for projects in Soria, Burgos, Valladolid, and Zamora. Studies in Zamora point to the Portuguese border where Portugal acted decisively long ago. In 2007, the neighboring country took over the 14.5 million euro international bridge over the Manzanas River, linking La Raya with San Martín del Pedroso in Zamora, the first Spanish town in the corridor. Now, authorities announce that a 1.5 kilometer section will undergo work as part of a broader four million euro allocation for the western end of the A-11.
The neglect to convert this route into a full highway carries political fingerprints. Promises and criticisms shift with every electoral cycle, and ministries routinely earmark funds that never materialize. Between 2005 and 2021, more than 20 million people appeared in the Zamora division on infrastructure statistics, yet tangible progress remained elusive. Local groups such as the Zamora Rural Coordination question where those funds went as delays and deteriorating road safety accumulate. The construction process has turned into a lengthy obstacle course. The first stretch of 70 kilometers from Zamora to Tordesillas took five years to become usable, despite being free of major geographic obstacles. The A-11 remains a priority in infrastructure plans of the two main political parties since Spain’s return to democracy, but forgetfulness often follows.
Portugal, by contrast, has demonstrated a more decisive path forward. The IP-4 reaches Quintanilha, connecting to Porto’s highway network, and Portugal has even built one of the Iberian Peninsula’s grandest tunnels, the O Marão, extending 5,625 meters. In Spain, it is often said that whichever party forms government will eventually include the A-11 in future General Budgets. The sense endures that what truly matters in this field is sustained commitment—projects that truly endure beyond electoral cycles and party shifts. The vision for the Duero corridor remains alive, but progress continues to be delayed, seen by many as a field where political will has not yet translated into tangible results.
Cited: Official planning bodies and regional transportation authorities note the ongoing need for a modern Duero corridor that can safely handle rising traffic, reduce travel times, and strengthen cross-border trade. The situation illustrates how strategic transport projects require consistent funding, long-term governance, and cross-border cooperation to deliver real benefits to Castile and León, neighboring regions, and the broader European transport network.