After tolls ended on the state-managed section of the motorway AP-68 regional MP Antonio Romero criticised the lack of plans for alterations in Aragon There was no project for the junctions near Alagón and Mallén nor a timetable or construction work, the politician from the conservative People’s Party told reporters in Zaragoza on 11 November. He blamed Spain’s Prime Minister for the political responsibility. Pedro Sánchez family.
Romero’s statements about the state of planning are political allegations and have not been independently confirmed. The Spanish Transport Ministry announced the previous day that it would dismantle the toll facilities in stages. It gave no specific timetable for the two junctions in Aragón in the statement reported by Europa Press.
The concession for the route between Bilbao and Zaragoza ended on 10 November 2026. According to the ministry, the state-managed section has been toll-free since midnight on 11 November. It covers 177 kilometres in total, of which 57.4 kilometres are in Aragón. Other sections are in La Rioja and in the province of Burgos. Tolls continue to be charged on sections in the Basque Country.
The end of the toll does not mean that the facilities have already been dismantled. Romero said there was still no date for dismantling the four toll stations on the Aragón section. It was also unclear who would carry out the work, when or how. Users would initially have to pass through the facilities at reduced speed, he said.
Before the concession expired, the mayors of Alagón and Mallén had already called for a solution to the access roads. With traffic expected to increase, they complained about a lack of information and outstanding modifications, according to a report by Heraldo de Aragón on 8 November. The mayor of Alagón told the newspaper that his municipality had been informed by the concessionaire that the barriers would be opened.
The Transport Ministry also said, according to Europa Press, that it was preparing contracts to operate and maintain the state-managed sections in Aragón and La Rioja. It described separate measures for several junctions in La Rioja. However, this does not establish the specific planning status for Alagón and Mallén.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).