The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has awarded for 895,097 euros, VAT included, the writing of the informative study to define the actions that must be carried out on the AP-6, AP-51 and AP-61 highways, as they pass through Madrid, Ávila and Segovia, to adapt its functionality to a scenario without tolls.
That is, adapt the road infrastructure to the foreseeable increase in demand in the event of its liberalization, according to the department headed by Óscar Puente, because the current concession contract for these highways ends on November 19, 2029.
The purpose of this study is to collect and analyze the necessary data to define the necessary actions on the AP-6, AP-51 and AP-61 highways, and the rest of the surrounding State Highway Network, to carry out said highways. actions, including the improvement of its functionality and accessibility to the territory.
The scope of the study will extend along the 115 kilometers of the route of said toll highways in the provinces of Madrid, Ávila and Segovia.
The study must determine both the type of actions (remodeling of links, implementation of new links, expansion of service areas or installation of new ones, new winter road parking, pacification of crossings, among others) and their characteristics (typology of links, geometric characteristics…), including the estimate of its budget and a programming proposal based on its priority, the statement details.
On November 19, 2029, the concession contract for the AP-6, AP-51 and AP-61 toll highways ends, which will foreseeably be managed directly by the Ministry without charging the user a toll. These three highways thus join other liberalized highways whose concession contracts have been expiring since 2018: AP-1 Burgos – Armiñón; AP-4 Seville – Cádiz; AP-7 Alicante – Valencia – Tarragona; AP-7 Tarragona – Barcelona and AP-2 Zaragoza – Mediterranean.
Highway adaptation
As a consequence of this liberalization, it is foreseeable that these highways will attract traffic from other toll-free roads, particularly the N-6, N-110 and N-603, in addition to the possible increase in traffic induced by the reduction in the generalized cost of the transport.
“This could result in some of the highway links, as well as existing service areas, not having sufficient capacity to absorb traffic or even to maintain the structure of the pavements, which would imply the need to incorporate additional lanes in the trunk of highways, as well as carrying out noise protection measures or any other environmental integration measures,” the statement added.
Highways also have long stretches without access, which hinders their connectivity with the environment and makes their operation difficult, especially in cases of winter traffic or accidents. For this reason, the construction of new links or completing existing ones should be studied to improve accessibility to the territory and improve the operating conditions of the highways, the Ministry emphasizes.
In addition to studying the needs of service areas, rest areas and safe parking, it will also be necessary to analyze the convenience of improving or implementing other functional elements of highways, in particular winter parking areas.
Likewise, the Ministry considers it advisable to study the convenience of installing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to improve the joint operation of the AP-6/N-6, AP-51/N-110 and AP-61/N-603, especially everything in case of incidents.
Other actions that could be contemplated in the study would have to do with the adaptation of some sections of the N-6, N-110 and N-603 for use by vulnerable users such as pedestrians or cyclists, given the forecast that these sections They will only support local traffic.
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