Setback for the new Minister of Transport and Mobility Oscar Puente. The body, which operates under the former MITMA (Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda), faces significant hurdles in implementing one of the last investments announced by the Council of Ministers before the end of the previous legislative session: an allocation of 414 million euros to improve 1,515 kilometers of traditional roads.
Specifically, the plan was to structure this investment through three separate service contracts, each covering a different geographic area: the first for Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura; the second for Aragon, Catalonia, Murcia, La Rioja and the Valencian Community; and the third for Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Galicia and Madrid. Each contract has faced its own challenges so far.
The tender covering the Mediterranean communities was the only one to remain unchanged among the three. Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura introduced a price revision, while Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Galicia and Madrid suspended progress and are expected to prepare a new document, likely increasing the price on offer. Overall, the estimated value of the contracts under consideration is about 290 million euros.
According to documents published on the State Tender Portal, in one of the tenders the General Directorate of Highways stated that, in the current economic context, the price revision is the best option for the public interest and to ensure proper execution of the contract. When reached for comment, the Communications Department of the Ministry of Transportation had not responded by the time this issue closed.
Renewal of 1515 km of conventional roads
The 1,515-kilometer investment, announced on July 11, includes milling and resurfacing works, micro-surfacing, reinforcements, repair of bumps and potholes, recycling and sealing, as well as repainting road signs and, where necessary, waterproofing structures on the road surface. The goal is to improve durability across the traditional road network and enhance user comfort, rather than simply completing standard maintenance.
Three contracts were divided into two groups of 25 lots each, with an initial three-year term that can be extended by two additional years. The Ministry of Transport estimates the investment at 414.7 million euros (excluding VAT), aiming to raise the level of road maintenance and guarantee safe and sustainable driving. The approach mirrors models already adopted by other administrations.
Maintenance is meant to focus on the surface of conventional roads. However, as long as it is adequately justified, works may also be applied to highways and expressways. Successful bidders will submit yearly action plans for each lot to the contract administrator for approval. While everything must stay within budget, there is room to adjust actions if pavement conditions pose a safety risk or require urgent measures due to faster deterioration than anticipated, the ministry noted.
Government budgeted 130 million to accelerate progress
In recent days, the Council of Ministers announced a fresh investment of 131 million euros to improve road maintenance in the provinces of A Coruña, Ciudad Real, Teruel, Huesca and Palencia. The contract duration remains three years, with a possible extension to five, and covers 1,127 kilometers of roads. This time, the specifications emphasize energy efficiency and emission reductions as part of the maintenance program.