How is the Government managing the 1 billion that the State owed it for infrastructure?

Tracking the flow of funds between the central government and the Catalan government is no easy task. This is especially true when these agreements have been in the works for years or even decades, as is the case with funds earmarked for infrastructure improvements. In 2023 – coinciding with the agreements for Pedro Sánchez's investiture – the Catalan government secured two key agreements in this regard: a grant of 914 million euros outstanding to make improvements to the roads and the B-40 or Northern Round pactwhich amounted to an additional 200 million euros. The Catalan government had been working for some time on a model similar to the Basque one to secure that money. the assignments or management ordersAnd this Monday, it was explained how that money is being invested and the current status of the projects. The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Generalitat, Manel Nadal, detailed that the department will close the year with five management agreements underway. This means that, although the project belongs to and is paid for by the Spanish government, the Generalitat leads the drafting of the projects and the execution of the work; that is, it controls the timeline and also the dialogue with the local community, "from a local perspective." "The ministry pays as we complete the work. This allows us, firstly, to accelerate the works; secondly, to guarantee that the money reaches Catalonia and prevent the projects from being abandoned and the money from ending up in the ministry's surplus; and thirdly, to do it with close collaboration and dialogue with the local community, which is the hallmark of this institution," Nadal argued. "We already have a successful experience with the B-23 bus lane in Barcelona, ​​and now it's being replicated," he recalled. This approach has allowed the Generalitat (Catalan government) to "secure the funding" and "double" its execution capacity by Christmas. In total, the five projects mobilize €1.13 billion until 2033. This money was already planned and announced and comes from the agreement to transfer the remaining €914 million for infrastructure and the €200 million that the B-40 or Ronda Nord roadworks in Sabadell and Terrassa will entail. These are the five major projects underway, their budgets, and the improvements they include: Eix Pirinenc (N-260): €260 million

The agreement was signed last November. On this road, which runs through the Pyrenees from Pont de Suert to Puigcerdà, works will be carried out to improve accessibility, the road surface, and road safety. One of the highlights will be the new Perves bypass, an area currently served by a very narrow road that needs a complete overhaul. The government will build a new road with tunnels to facilitate passage through this challenging area. Improvements are also being planned for Senterada, Sort, and other smaller changes that will enhance its functionality.

AP-2 and AP-7 interchanges: €250 million

It has also been signed and underway for a year. The goal is to create seven new access points and improve ten existing ones to increase capacity and safety on these two major roads. Some of the improvements will begin as early as next year, in 2026. New connections will be made to Masdenverge, in the port of Tarragona, in El Vendrell, in Banyeres del Penedès, and in Vilafranca, to connect with the C-15 towards Manresa. Improvements are also planned for the connection between the A-2, the B-40, and the C-55; a new and improved link to Abrera; and a new connection from the C-55 to the B-40 in Olesa. Similarly, the Barberà area will be reconfigured to "strengthen that junction"; in Parets, to avoid congestion on the C-17 at the access to the AP-7; and near La Roca del Vallès, to simplify traffic flow now that tolls have been eliminated. in Sant Celoni, to improve access to the AP-7 motorway, the C-35 road, and also the northern and southern access points to Girona.

Northern Ring Road: €200 million

This is a pact that involved a long political give and take and which was finally unblocked in the summer two years ago. The agreement was signed in November 2024, and the preliminary and environmental studies have now been put out to tender. As the Catalan government is very aware of the disagreements surrounding this project, they want to "give it more impetus" with two additional studies, one on mobility and the other on landscape. The objective is to provide continuity to the B-40 highway that reaches Terrassa, connecting the urban systems of Terrassa and Sabadell, where the C-58 highway is located. The final route does not yet exist, but the Secretary of Mobility assured at the end of September at an event in Sabadell that construction would begin in 2028.

Rail interchanges: €36 million

Following the same structure, the Generalitat (Catalan government) also has underway the construction of the Volpelleres and Hospital General rail interchanges. In this case, a third party is involved: the railway infrastructure manager Adif, which also owns (and finances) part of the project. However, the Generalitat is responsible for drafting the plans and carrying out the construction. This infrastructure, which will connect the R8 commuter rail line with the S1 and S2 lines of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC) in the Vallès region, already has a signed agreement, and "now it is necessary to activate the preliminary reports and establish the monitoring committees," according to sources within the department.

Maresme (N-II and C-32): €384 million

The signing of this final agreement (in this case, it's a grant, not a contract, because the road is under Catalan jurisdiction) is the only remaining step. However, the ministry has already approved the allocation of €384 million to move forward. One of the projects that has been awaited for the longest time in the Maresme region: the pedestrianization of the N-II highway. and the access roads to the C-32. In fact, the works for the first phase could begin soon, in 2026. This infrastructure is not without controversy either: just a few weeks ago Pressure from local residents forced the government to back down. and eliminate one of the new access points planned for the C-32. There are five others planned in the first phase, and local residents' and environmental groups have already announced that they will also fight back.