Spain's Drivers May Soon Pay Per Kilometre to Fund Crumbling Road Repairs

The Funding Crisis Behind the Proposal

Spain's roads are in trouble — and so are the finances meant to maintain them. SEOPAN, the association representing Spain's major construction and infrastructure companies, is calling for a fundamental shift in how Spanish roads are funded: a pay-per-use charging system of 3 euro cents per kilometre driven on intercity roads, applied to passenger cars.

Based on an average annual out-of-city mileage of 3,700 kilometres, the cost to a typical driver would be approximately €111 per year. Over a decade, the system would generate an estimated €43.26 billion in total revenue, with around €4.1 billion distributed to approximately 2,680 local councils.

The proposal is not yet law — it requires a decision by the Spanish central government — but the pressure behind it is real and mounting.

The December 2026 Crunch

The urgency is sharpest around a specific deadline: in December 2026, ten major motorway concession contracts originally awarded in 2007 expire. Once those contracts end, central government authorities must take direct responsibility for maintaining 993 kilometres of motorway, with no private operators lined up to replace them. Maintenance costs for motorways average roughly €80,000 per kilometre, and total annual road maintenance expenses across Spain already reach €12.7 billion.

A System Under Serious Strain

The wider funding picture makes grim reading. Public contracts for infrastructure works totalled just €2.218 billion in 2025 — less than 2% of all public procurement spending, down 84% since 2015. Nearly one in five contract bids now fails outright, with companies refusing to tender due to financial risk. Infrastructure investment in 2024 reached barely half of 2009 levels. Transport and water management's share of public spending has collapsed from 3.9% in 2008 to just 1.7% today.

Julián Núñez, president of SEOPAN, put it plainly: "Moving away from chronic underfunding is vital for future prosperity."

How the Charge Would Work

The proposed system targets intercity roads only — not urban driving — and applies exclusively to passenger cars. Heavy goods vehicles are covered separately under the EU's Eurovignette framework. The revenue generated would fund road maintenance, ecological transitions and digital infrastructure modernisation, positioned explicitly as an alternative to raising general taxation.

What It Means for Drivers in Spain

This is a proposal, not yet policy. But the funding crisis driving it is real, and the December 2026 motorway deadline gives it urgency that previous discussions have lacked. For expats and residents who drive regularly on Spanish intercity roads, the direction of travel is clear: some form of road charging — whether this specific proposal or a variant of it — is increasingly likely in the years ahead.

The €111 annual estimate is an average; frequent long-distance drivers would pay more, occasional users less. The key question now is whether the Spanish government will act before the December crunch forces the issue.

This article is based on reporting from Euro Weekly News, published May 3, 2026.