Aucalsa operates the AP-66, the tolled Autopista del Huerna linking Asturias and León across the Pajares corridor. Claims of a penalty over tolls and service disruptions have renewed attention to the route, which is also at the center of a separate dispute over the concession’s duration.
Somos Asturies argues that the concession should have ended on 17 October 2021. The group says it was extended to 2050 under the government of José María Aznar and has cited an infringement procedure opened by the European Commission concerning that extension. These are political claims about the concession’s legality. An infringement procedure is distinct from a final ruling or annulment. The concession issue is separate from any service-related penalty.
Mounting Pressure
Opposition to the toll remains active. On 18 October 2026, Somos Asturies and the platform ¡Peaje del Huerna No! staged a symbolic action at the La Magdalena toll barriers, calling for toll collection to end and directing their demands at Spain’s Ministry of Transport and the Government of the Principality of Asturias. Somos Asturies spokesperson Covadonga Tomé said motorists had been “paying unjustly for five years for a toll we should not have to pay.”
The AP-66 is the tolled route between Campomanes and León, distinct from the parallel, free A-66. A route guide puts the indicative full-route charge at about €16 for light vehicles; the actual tariff depends on the journey and vehicle category, as well as applicable rates. That recurring cost helps explain why the concession remains a prominent concern for regular users.
Legal and Economic Context
The reported penalty claim and the dispute over the concession raise different legal questions. A proposed penalty and a final sanction are separate stages in an administrative proceeding, while the concession controversy concerns the contract’s term and extension. Tomé has said the concession “should have ended on 17 October 2021” and described the European Commission’s scrutiny as evidence against the extension. Those statements represent the group’s position.
The toll remains a focus of political and social opposition, including demands to reverse the concession. Available reporting identifies no confirmed date for a government decision to end or modify it. For drivers and businesses that regularly use the corridor, the toll remains part of a wider debate about access between Asturias and the Meseta and the terms for managing privately operated infrastructure.
