More than a hundred defects in the asphalt have been detected along the 2,000 kilometers of the AP-7, from La Jonquera to Barcelona and vice versa. The stretch between both towns, over 150 kilometers long, shows potholes, cracks, and fissures along practically its entire length, according to the latest inspection carried out.
Heavy traffic and the end of tolls worsen deterioration
Since the abolition of tolls in 2020 and their extension in 2021 in Catalonia, traffic on the AP-7 has grown by 70%, with a particularly significant increase in heavy vehicles. The rise in trucks and the lack of maintenance have been identified by CCOO as key factors in the deterioration of the road surface.
"It's a high-traffic road that we're asking for more than it can give" - Josep Palau, president of the RACC
The critical points of deterioration are concentrated at exits 3 and 4 in Figueres, 6, 6B, and 7 in Girona, exit 10 in La Selva, and the stretch in Granollers. In the province of Tarragona, the stretch at exit 294 southbound, near L'Ametlla de Mar, presents what could be the largest pothole on the AP-7 in Catalonia.
Fatal accident and kilometer-long queues in Gelida
On January 20, the collapse of a wall near Gelida, at exit 176, caused a fatal train accident. Since then, the area has seen kilometer-long traffic jams due to road closures and restrictions for repair work. **The situation has generated concern among regular users and emergency services**.
Deficiencies in Service Areas and High-Risk Stretches
The Porta de Barcelona service area, at kilometer 165 near Castellbisbal, has potholes in all three lanes. Between kilometers 410 and 440, already in the province of Castelló, the highest concentration of patches and horizontal cracks on the entire highway is observed.
- Kilometer 745 in Torrevella Nord registered a danger index of 43.2 between 2020 and 2024, compared to a national average of 8.
- At kilometer marker 901, in Cuevas del Almanzora (Almería), the danger index was 63.2 in the 2015-2020 period, fourteen times higher than the state average.
Less surveillance and conservation after toll removal
"When the road was a toll road, Abertis invested a lot in maintenance and surveillance. Now it's paved much less frequently and there are fewer operators monitoring incidents" - Jordi Selvas, spokesperson for Roads
The Ministry of Transport has not provided figures on the funds allocated for maintenance, according to the available information. The lack of official data on maintenance investments is a concern for user and worker groups.
The AP-7, Catalonia's main road axis, thus faces a situation of deterioration that affects both road safety and traffic flow on some of its busiest sections.