The Spanish State is due to retake control of almost 1,300 kilometres of high-capacity roads in 2027, including 993 kilometres of first-generation dual carriageways whose concession contracts end in December 2026. For drivers, commuters and freight firms using routes such as the A-1, A-2, A-3, A-31 and A-4, the immediate change is not a new charge at the roadside but a change in who pays to keep these roads operating, with maintenance moving directly onto the public budget from 1 January 2027.

These roads were awarded in 2007 under the peaje en sombra, or shadow toll, model. That means motorists do not pay a toll directly, but the Administration pays the concession company according to traffic levels and service standards. Once the contracts end, those payments stop and the State becomes directly responsible for upkeep.

According to Europa Press, the annual amount to be set aside in the Presupuestos Generales del Estado, Spain's General State Budget, is estimated at €79.4 million, based on an average maintenance cost of €80,000 per kilometre. The same report says the Ministry believes the end of the concessions will still deliver budget savings of more than €200 million a year.

The roads affected and what changes on 1 January 2027

The 10 contracts expiring in December 2026 cover sections of five major state roads:

  • A-1
  • A-2
  • A-3
  • A-31
  • A-4

Europa Press reported that these 993 kilometres represent 9.5% of the State's toll-free road network. From the start of 2027, they will be funded entirely through the national budget rather than through concession payments to private operators.

For regular road users, that matters because these are strategic corridors carrying heavier-than-average traffic. 20minutos reported that the routes support traffic volumes about 25% above the average for toll-free dual carriageways, with an especially high share of heavy goods vehicles. In practice, that means residents commuting by car and haulage companies moving goods along these corridors will depend on the State maintaining the same road-safety and maintenance standards now delivered under concession contracts.

A-31 deal is being used as a model for other handovers

One of the key negotiations has centred on the A-31 section linking Bonete in Albacete with Alicante. According to elEconomista, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility reached an agreement with concessionaire Viario A31 after almost two years of talks.

Under that agreement, the company will carry out works to return the road in a reset condition for about €8.6 million. ElEconomista said the Ministry had initially sought works worth more than €12 million, while the operator's opening position was about €3 million.

The report said the concessionaire is controlled by Grupo Ortiz with 26%, Rubau with 25%, Tecopsa with 25%, Lantania with 19% and Aecom-Inocsa with 5%. The deal is intended to serve as a template for the other reversions and reduce the risk of the handovers ending up in court.

Maintenance staff and service continuity remain a practical issue

Another unresolved point is the workforce now assigned to these roads. The concession contracts are tied to 41 service indicators and, according to Europa Press, employ an aggregated workforce of about 500 specialist staff in road operation and maintenance.

The Government will assume direct conservation of 993 kilometres of first-generation dual carriageways from 1 January 2027, after the 10 concession contracts awarded in 2007 end in December 2026.

20minutos reported that the Government and the companies will need to address the possible transfer of those workers so that essential maintenance services are not interrupted when control returns to the State. That is the most immediate operational issue for road users: whether winter maintenance, incident response and routine upkeep continue without disruption on some of Spain's busiest toll-free corridors.

Europa Press also noted that the tender documents allowed for the concessions to be extended by a further six years, but the current timetable still sets the reversion for December 2026. The handover date cited in the reports remains 1 January 2027.

Reported by Source Text Link, europapress.es, eleconomista.es, Alejandro Pablo Asín, Paula Solanas Alfaro, Julián Bonaño Aranda, xataka.com, mdpi.com, infrapppworld.com, 20minutos |, Marco Raimondi, Andres Oviedo, merca2.es, Web Financial Group, S.A., La Vanguardia Barcelona.