Overview
- Traffic on the AP-7 has risen about 70% since tolls were removed in 2020–2021, with a pronounced shift of heavy goods vehicles onto the motorway.
- On-the-ground surveys report more than 100 serious pavement defects, including potholes, cracks and drainage failures, with particularly severe wear in right-hand lanes.
- Catalonia’s official data show AP-7 accidents up 40% between 2019 and 2025, with victims up roughly 30% and fatalities higher, and high-risk points identified near Cardedeu–La Roca and Torrevieja Norte.
- A wall collapse near Gelida on January 20 linked motorway deterioration to a fatal rail accident, intensifying calls for urgent interventions.
- Policy choices remain unresolved as proposals circulate for a vignette, targeted heavy-vehicle charges, time restrictions and possible transfers of control, while Madrid defends the AP-9 concession’s validity and Brussels cites EU case law and ongoing infringement action that could shape future governance options.