Gregorio Serrano, who once led Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), has warned that the country’s road network is deteriorating. In a recent interview, Serrano called the state of Spanish roads 'absolutely lamentable and unacceptable' and said the crisis demands immediate government attention.
Serrano’s assessment is blunt: years of insufficient investment in road surfaces and safety infrastructure, including signs and barriers, have left much of the network in disrepair. He says the neglect directly threatens road safety and goes beyond mere inconvenience for drivers. Damage such as potholes and cracks, especially on secondary and interurban routes, has turned many stretches into hazards. Spain’s road-safety figures also show why risk cannot be assessed by looking at the largest roads alone: around 15,500 kilometres of motorways and dual carriageways carry about 80% of annual vehicle-kilometres but account for roughly a quarter of road deaths. Lower-capacity roads so account for a disproportionate share of fatalities relative to traffic volume.
He is particularly critical of the tendency to treat road maintenance as a dispensable budget item. Serrano says regular upkeep should be seen as a strategic investment in public safety, not an optional expense. The maintenance challenge is also acknowledged by Pere Navarro, the DGT’s director. He described Spain’s road network as “admirable” while saying that “the challenge at this moment is conservation and maintenance.” Preventive upkeep covers more than resurfacing: a two-year contract awarded by the Diputación de Zamora, worth €5 million including VAT, covers about 1,581 kilometres of provincial roads. It includes repairs and sign replacement, along with slope protection, drainage improvements and responses to snow and other adverse weather.
Another point of contention is the growing gap between the strict standards imposed on drivers, including technical inspections and environmental regulations as well as speed limits, and the responsibility of authorities to provide safe, modern infrastructure. Poorly maintained roads accelerate wear on vehicles, from tires to suspension. Motorists are left frustrated as they pay taxes intended for mobility but see little return in road quality.
Serrano calls for a coordinated nationwide response that transcends political divisions. More than 160,000 kilometers of roads are managed by the central government and by autonomous communities, provinces and municipalities. He believes only a unified strategy can address the stark disparities in road conditions between regions. With maintenance spread across several levels of government, inconsistent standards can leave drivers with unequal levels of safety and comfort depending on where they travel.
He also highlights the broader consequences of neglect, including reduced nighttime visibility and inadequate drainage during heavy rain, both of which can raise the risk of aquaplaning and multi-vehicle collisions. Road-surface damage has also prompted operational restrictions on major routes: a traffic-information listing recorded an obstruction and lane closures on the AP-7 near Vinaròs, Castelló. Those disruptions show the practical consequences of defects, while the broader distribution of road deaths points to safety risks across different types of roads. The impact is felt by private motorists and the logistics sector, with truck drivers facing daily challenges on damaged routes. Serrano warns that this erosion of infrastructure ultimately undermines Spain’s economic competitiveness.
Transport associations and road safety groups have also called for urgent action, long demanding an end to chronic underfunding for road maintenance. The funding debate extends to the State Road Network: a ministry notice dated 20 October removed three previously awarded road-related contracts from European Next Generation financing. The contracts were valued at almost €3.5 million before tax. One, worth €1,651,118.93, concerned assessment and monitoring of the structural and geotechnical safety of selected network elements. The projects were awarded between 2023 and 2025. The decision adds a funding-governance issue to the discussion, though it does not by itself establish a reduction in overall road-maintenance spending. Spain’s infrastructure challenges also extend beyond roads: a recent analysis by russpain.com notes that the country lags in areas such as urban charging solutions, pointing to the need for investment across transport networks. See how Spain’s infrastructure gap extends to electric vehicle charging.
The government has acknowledged the issue, but concrete solutions remain slow to materialize. Serrano’s intervention has renewed debate over the future of Spain’s roads and whether the country can afford to ignore the mounting risks any longer.
