Catalonia needs 52,838 million euros to bring its infrastructure up to date

Seopan allocates two-thirds of spending to new works and upgrades, and calls for moderate tolls to fund maintenance

A system of moderate tolls on dual carriageways would allow for the collection of 1,223 million euros, according to Seopan president Julián Núñez. The employers’ association proposes using this revenue to cover the maintenance deficit of Catalonia’s motorways.

More than 52 billion over ten years

The association of construction and concession companies estimates that Catalonia needs to invest 52,838 million euros in infrastructure over a decade. Two-thirds would go to new works and the adaptation of existing facilities; the rest to conservation and maintenance.

The calculation was presented at the Infraestructuras Clave forum for the Desarrollo de Cataluña, held at the Foment del Treball headquarters in Barcelona. The figure exceeds the 40,000 million that Foment estimated in 2023 as the accumulated deficit since 2009 and is close to the estimate by the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona to avoid collapse.

Transport and water account for most of the works

Seopan estimates that 34,443 million are needed for new projects or complete upgrades. Of this amount, 21,973 million correspond to transport and mobility; another 9,530 million to waterworks. The rest is divided between public health facilities, with 2,107 million, and the environment, with 823 million.

Among the mobility projects mentioned are the orbital commuter line in Barcelona and the R9 line. The list also includes rail integration in Hospitalet de Llobregat, the extension of the L3 de Metro, and the Collserola tunnel, as well as improvements to port and airport infrastructure.

The proposal ties in with other debates on mobility in the city, such as the information on grants for electric bicycles.

Maintenance totals 18,395 million

The amount allocated to conservation comes to 18,395 million euros. Seopan assigns 12,043 million to water infrastructure and 4,555 million to roads; for the rail network, it estimates 1,795 million, with particular attention to renewing the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line.

The employers’ association maintains that these investments are necessary for competitiveness, social well-being, and compliance with technical and environmental requirements. To speed up spending, it calls for changes to public procurement regulations and for budgets and deadlines for new works to be guaranteed.

It also calls for the concession model to be reinstated and for the Ley de Desindexación to be reviewed. According to Seopan’s calculations, that law has reduced public tendering for concession works by 96% since 2015.