Skip to main content

Spain needs €6.5bn road infrastructure investment, says SHA

Spain needs around €6.5 billion spent on its road infrastructure to bring it back up to ‘reasonable’ quality standard, according to a report drawn up by the Spanish Highways Association (SHA). The huge works’ bill is said by the SHA to be due to the deterioration of the roads since 1985. According to McKinsey, this investment could be reduced if tendering authorities made more effort when it came to project analysis. By improving the use of engineering services by 3% to 5% per investment, cost savings of
April 14, 2014 Read time: 1 min
Spain needs around €6.5 billion spent on its road infrastructure to bring it back up to ‘reasonable’ quality standard, according to a report drawn up by the Spanish Highways Association (SHA).

The huge works’ bill is said by the SHA to be due to the deterioration of the roads since 1985. According to McKinsey, this investment could be reduced if tendering authorities made more effort when it came to project analysis. By improving the use of engineering services by 3% to 5% per investment, cost savings of up to 40% could be gained.

Spain is increasingly distancing itself from the average investment made in engineering in Europe, as the government spends fewer funds on infrastructures despite their worsening state. According to Bricard Associates, Spanish investment in engineering comes to under 4.5% of total infrastructure investment, while the European average is 8.4%.

Related Content

  • China looks to the future with major highway plans
    February 15, 2012
    China is still moving ahead with plans that will give it the world's biggest highway system. Patrick Smith reports. As China's economy grows even more, keeping the country on the move has become a priority for the government. While the country has made great strides over the past decade in improving its infrastructure, the number of vehicles has also increased rapidly, and in some instances restrictions have been placed on them.
  • The European Road Infrastructure Congress 2016: innovative thinking
    October 18, 2016
    ERIC 2016, the first European Road Infrastructure Congress, has called on the region’s governments to come together and work more imaginatively with the private sector to bring about a safer and more effective highway network. Speaking at the congress’ opening ceremony, FIA president Jean Todt said that if the EU is serious about improving its road safety record, it is essential to develop a high quality highway infrastructure as quickly as possible. Todt (who is also the United Nations special envoy
  • Efficient construction leads to quality roads
    November 30, 2012
    Technology to assist the installation of quick laying, yet top-quality, road surfaces requiring less frequent repair, thus limiting costs and the number of construction sites, is being sought by highways authorities the world over. The European Union devised project ASPHALT (Advanced Galileo Navigation System for Asphalt Fleet Machines) for satellite navigation and fleet management may have found just what such authorities are looking for. Within the scope of the ASPHALT research project MOBA, together wit
  • CECE Summit – is Europe ready for a digital construction worksite?
    November 20, 2015
    The CECE has voiced his concern over government regulations that could strangle innovation for the digitalisation of construction machinery. China’s imploding economy was another topic at the recent conference in Brussels, reports David Arminas. The CECE has urged the European Parliament and European Commission to enact legislation that promotes rather than hinders the construction sector’s transition to a digitalised way of working. “We need a smart regulatory framework that helps to unlock the full poten