Abertis announces that Autopista Central, a subsidiary of the holding group VíasChile has signed an agreement with the Chilean Ministry of Public Works (MOP) for the deployment of a major capex aimed at debottlenecking one of the most congested areas in the Northern part of Santiago de Chile. In more details the project relates to the construction of two one-way tunnels (1.5 Km each) connecting territories within the metropolitan area of Santiago de Chile (interchange between the General Velásquez stretch of Autopista Central and Américo Vespucio Norte portion of Santiago ring road). Total project costs are in excess of €300mn. The works are expected to be initiated in the first half of 2022 and be delivered within 40 months.
This project will allow Santiago to benefit from reduced pollution and road users to achieve fuel and travel times savings due to the improved traffic flow. The project includes 22 hectares of new public spaces for leisure, including over 6 hectares of re-greening.
Autopista Central, a concession that currently manages 62 Km in the North-South axle of Santiago de Chile metropolitan area until 2032, is the toll road with the largest traffic volume in the country and is one of the 6 concessions of Abertis’ portfolio in Chile. As part of this agreement, there will be an extension of 20 months for this concession.
In H1 2021, Abertis Chilean EBITDA stood at 174.000 euros, a significant portion of Abertis’ 1.6 billion euros H1 EBITDA. During 2021, Chilean motorways have seen a strong rebound in traffic showing since July a recovery of 2019 levels.
The transaction follows Abertis' strategy to prolong the average duration of its assets and reinforces its commitment to public-private partnerships with the objective to find long term value-creation and sustainability solutions for the territories in which it operates through agreements with the public administrations.
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15 June 2026
• This is one of the main findings of a study conducted by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) in collaboration with the TRANSyT Transport Research Centre, and promoted by the Abertis Foundation as part of its international Chairs programme, analysing mobility habits, infrastructure assessments and future expectations.
• 77% of users believe toll roads have better pavement conditions than non-toll roads, and 67% say they feel safer driving on them.
• 85% call for real-time information on accidents and roadworks to be available directly in vehicles, while 75% support expanding barrier-free payment systems.
• 74% say they would use motorways more if they had access to a free electronic payment device, and seven out of ten already use mobile apps to plan their journeys.
21 May 2026
The Abertis Foundation has presented the Abertis Spain 2026 Awards, which recognise research excellence in sustainable mobility, infrastructure and transport, in an edition that also marks the beginning of a new stage of the Abertis Chairs International Network, which is consolidating itself as an international mobility observatory.
The Abertis Chairs International Network, coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), promotes collaboration between some of the most prestigious universities in the countries in which Abertis operates, to promote sustainable mobility through data analysis, applied research and the development of innovative projects.
The event, held as part of a day of debate on road infrastructure, brought together experts from academia, business and institutions to address issues such as innovation, digitalisation, user experience and financing models.
