[ChrisZwolle]

Here's a question about the Spanish roadnetwork.

About a decade ago, there were only a few Autopistas, in the north and the east (AP1,AP2, AP7, AP68etc), and all other roads were National roads. Since then, an enormous amount of Autovías were built, throughout the country, National road I - V were changed in autovías, but why became these roads autovías and not (tolled) autopistas?

thousands of kilometers of Autovías were built, but only several Autopistas (AP7, AP36). Why?

If you look at them, you can't see much difference between an Autovía and an Autopista.

thanks in advance.

 

[Bsrt]

Maybe the problem is that building an autopista marks some restrictions as for example curves with a lower radius than in an autovías or longer acceleration lanes, etc... Spain is a country with a lot of mountains and changes between lowlands and highlands so making autovias is so much expensive than in other countries, you can imagine that making autopistas is huge invest, so huge that the period of service to earn the money that the state invested is so long that is not too profitable for governments to built autopistas for all the roads of this country. You can see it for example in the case of the Ebro Valley autopista, this road was built, most of it, paralel to Ebro river, so the problem of level changing is eliminated until the autopista arrives to Basque Country, or to Barcelona, where the autopista goes by the Llobregat river corridor (or that is what I remember)

 

[arquero_arba]

Here's a question about the Spanish roadnetwork.

About a decade ago, there were only a few Autopistas, in the north and the east (AP1,AP2, AP7, AP68etc), and all other roads were National roads. Since then, an enormous amount of Autovías were built, throughout the country, National road I - V were changed in autovías, but why became these roads autovías and not (tolled) autopistas?

thousands of kilometers of Autovías were built, but only several Autopistas (AP7, AP36). Why?

If you look at them, you can't see much difference between an Autovía and an Autopista.

thanks in advance.

About National I-VI roads (now A1-A6), these are toll-free because there is no other option to do those trips. That's due to the policy of "desdoblamientos" (converting a National road in an Autovia by simply adding a causeway, and not changing the route, in order to save money). That happened in the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s.

But then, in the mid-90s, there was a huge arrival of money from the EU that made possible the construction of more and much better designed Autovias.

About the differences Autovia / Autopista, they lie in the age of the road more than in the toll. AP-8 is just terrible, but it's because it was finished in the last 70s.

 

[arriaca]

Condiciones de autopista:

Control total de accesos​

No hay cruces a nivel​

Calzadas separadas para cada sentido​

Circulación exclusiva de automóviles​

Señalización específica como autopista​

Condiciones de autovía

Puede no haber control total de accesos​

Puede haber algún cruce a nivel​

Calzadas separadas para cada sentido​

Pueden circular vehículos no automóviles​

Aunque existe una definición no oficial que se ajusta más:

Autovía es toda carretera de dos calzadas, construida en los años 80, con un coste inferior a los 100 millones de pesetas por kilómetro.​

La razón de que muchas autovías ahora se denominen como autopistas es una exigencia de la Unión Europea. Aunque la velocidad máxima en algunos, o en muchos, tramos no sea la máxima de 120 km/h un cambio en la normativa prohibiendo la circulación de personas y vehículos de tracción animal por las autovías fue suficiente para que estas pasaran a ser autopistas.

PD: siento mucho no poder escribirte esta parrafada en inglés, pero creo que comentaste que entendías el español.

 

[Hinx]

¿Esto no es el foro español?

 

[cesitar]

An "autovia" is a motorway similar to an "autopista", but not having all the characteristics of them:

In order that a road is considered as an "autovia" has to fulfill the following requirements:

- Must have independent paths for each direction
- The access to the adjacent properties is limited.
- It cannot be crossed and cannot cross other ways at the same level.

The "autopistas" have all a new path, since the "autovias" were initially built from an existing path (the so-called, "desdoblamientos"), although this practice has not been the usual one for the last 10 years or so.

The radius of the curves is required to be greater in the "autopistas", and the accesses are supposed to be more secure, but in all the new "autovías" all these requierements are also fulfilled (I understand by "new" the ones built during the last 8-10 years). The only thing that "autovias" are still "worse" than "autopistas" is the number of accesses, being greater in "autovias" than in "autopistas". This is like that because "autovias" are designed to serve as a public infrastructure for the whole route (including small villages). The "autopistas" only serve greater municipalities.

Also the amount of rest areas is bigger in autopistas, and are supposed to have better quality (although haven't reached the level of France of Germany, yet). Maybe this is the next point the Government should invest (after restoration of the oldest autovias): the rest areas in both autopistas and autovías.

Hope this helps!

 

[Carretero]

In this thread of the Madrid subforum, there were some explanations about what "autopistas" and "autovías" are.
http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=310611

The most official one is this:

Si nos vamos a la LEY SOBRE TRAFICO, CIRCULACION DE VEHICULOS A MOTOR Y SEGURIDAD VIAL (texto articulado aprobado por REAL DECRETO LEGISLATIVO 339/90), encontramos:

# 61. Autopista. Carretera que está especialmente proyectada, construida y señalizada como tal para la exclusiva circulación de automóviles y reúne las siguientes características:

* a. No tener acceso a la misma las propiedades colindantes.
* b. No cruzar a nivel ninguna otra senda, vía, línea de ferrocarril o tranvía, ni ser cruzada a nivel por senda, vía de comunicación o servidumbre de paso alguna.
* c. Constar de distintas calzadas para cada sentido de circulación, separadas entre sí, salvo en puntos singulares o con carácter temporal, por una franja de terreno no destinada a la circulación o, en casos excepcionales, por otros medios.

# 62. Autovía. Autovía es la carretera especialmente proyectada, construida y señalizada como tal que tiene las siguientes características:

* a) Tener acceso limitado a ella las propiedades colindantes.
* b) No cruzar a nivel ninguna otra senda, vía, línea de ferrocarril o tranvía, ni ser cruzada a nivel por senda, vía de comunicación o servidumbre de paso alguna.
* c) Constar de distintas calzadas para cada sentido de circulación, separadas entre sí, salvo en puntos singulares o con carácter temporal, por una franja de terreno no destinada a la circulación, o por otros medios.

As you can read, "legally" there are almost no differences between both types of roads.

¿Esto no es el foro español?

Evidentemente, pero la persona que ha abierto el hilo, ha hecho su consulta en inglés, por lo que es de prever que no domine el castellano correctamente. Si todos los demás que estamos escribiendo por aquí entendemos lo que se está poniendo, no veo qué problema hay.

Hay que tener un poco de mano izquierda... :|

 

[Bitxofo]

Autopistas are different from autovías, they are similar but not exactly the same.

Also you can find "toll autopistas" and "free autopistas", but all autovías are free.
:wink2:

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Thanks for the answers.

The next questions are: Are there different speed limits for Autovias or Autopistas?
And will there be more constructions of Autopistas?

By the way, in the Netherlands, the average distance between junctions is only 3,5kms, not counting rest areas.

 

[Ivano]

Speed limits are the same, and yes, more autopistas will be constructed. For example, the autopista Madrid-Ciudad Real-Cordoba (maybe the longest autopista to be made in the next years) or the Pedrizas Hill-Torremolinos one, which will be paralell to the current A-45.

Regards.

 

[Mr. Benq]

About National I-VI roads (now A1-A6), these are toll-free because there is no other option to do those trips.

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeec, ERROR

National-I road is not a "autovia" at all. The trame Burgos-Miranda de Ebro isn't toll-free. Sorry, my english is awful, so I continue in spanish. Maybe, someone translate my words.

____________________________

En castellano, para que entendamos los demás. El tramo Nacional-I entre Burgos y Miranda es una carretera de doble sentido. Para mas INRI, la carretera pasa por el casco urbano Mirandés, si quieres ir por doble carril, debes pagar. Es el único tramo entre Cádiz y Paris que no es autovia. VERGONZOSO.

 

[dirdam]

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeec, ERROR

National-I road is not a "autovia" at all. The trame Burgos-Miranda de Ebro isn't toll-free. Sorry, my english is awful, so I continue in spanish. Maybe, someone translate my words.

____________________________

En castellano, para que entendamos los demás. El tramo Nacional-I entre Burgos y Miranda es una carretera de doble sentido. Para mas INRI, la carretera pasa por el casco urbano Mirandés, si quieres ir por doble carril, debes pagar. Es el único tramo entre Cádiz y Paris que no es autovia. VERGONZOSO.

Meeec, error. Entre Cádiz y Sevilla tampoco hay autovía. "Si quieres ir por doble carril, debes pagar" como tú dices. Por no hablar de todos los tramos que hay en Francia que también son de peaje. Meec, meec, meec.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Speed limits are the same, and yes, more autopistas will be constructed. For example, the autopista Madrid-Ciudad Real-Cordoba (maybe the longest autopista to be made in the next years) or the Pedrizas Hill-Torremolinos one, which will be paralell to the current A-45.

Regards.

But when you have an option for an Autovia or an Autopista, everyone would take the toll-free autovía (which would be an fast connection too), and nobody drives on the tolled autopista, or am i wrong?

When i drove on the AP2 from Lleida/Lérida to El Vendrell, there was very little traffic. I think the A2 between Lleida/Lérida and Martorell was busier.

 

[Sanlucar-Playa]

¿Esto no es el foro español?

Claro, por eso es pertinente tratar aquí un tema tan español como la existencia de "autopistas" y "autovías". A los extranjeros, con independencia del idioma que hablen, les cuesta trabajo comprender la diferencia entre ambos tipos de vías.

 

[Bitxofo]

Meeec, error. Entre Cádiz y Sevilla tampoco hay autovía. "Si quieres ir por doble carril, debes pagar" como tú dices. Por no hablar de todos los tramos que hay en Francia que también son de peaje. Meec, meec, meec.

Hay una autopista desde la frontera franco-española a París y no es de peaje, se llama La Meridienne y va por Clermont-Ferrand, la he usado varias veces, pero le faltaba algun tramo por construir, ahora creo que ya está completa, creo.

 

[gooth]

About National I-VI roads (now A1-A6), these are toll-free because there is no other option to do those trips.

A6 is AP6 from Adanero to Villalba, so it's not free. You can use N-601 instead of AP6 (8,5€ more or less)

 

[Bitxofo]

But when you have an option for an Autovia or an Autopista, everyone would take the toll-free autovía (which would be an fast connection too), and nobody drives on the tolled autopista, or am i wrong?

When i drove on the AP2 from Lleida/Lérida to El Vendrell, there was very little traffic. I think the A2 between Lleida/Lérida and Martorell was busier.

In many places, there is NO alternative to a toll "autopista" or just a local road instead of free "autovía"...
:dunno:
For example, in Barcelona area and Catalonia region 80% of motorways are tolled!

 

[arriaca]

In many places, there is NO alternative to a toll "autopista" or just a local road instead of free "autovía"...
:dunno:
For example, in Barcelona area and Catalonia region 80% of motorways are tolled!

La alternativa a una autopista de peaje no debe obligatoriamente ser otra autopista o autovía, ni ahora ni antes. Sino fíjate en las alternativas a las autopistas de Ávila o Segovia desde la AP-6 ó N-6.

 

[Ivano]

But when you have an option for an Autovia or an Autopista, everyone would take the toll-free autovía (which would be an fast connection too), and nobody drives on the tolled autopista, or am i wrong?

When i drove on the AP2 from Lleida/Lérida to El Vendrell, there was very little traffic. I think the A2 between Lleida/Lérida and Martorell was busier.

Well, in general when you can choose between taking an autovia or an autopista -unusual fact- you will pay if you want to drive stressless or just faster -hundred of lorries and thousand of cars will take the freeway-. But usually both roads won´t be exactly the same. For example, driven to the south through the future AP-45 will be the best option if you are going to Malaga or to the west side of the Costa del Sol, but if you are going to the east side of the Costa del Sol, the toll-free but winding A-45 will be your road.

I'm waiting for the AP-45 to be made -not before 2008-2009- because A-45 is always full on high season and on weekends, and I like to go to Malaga on weekends!

 

[Carretero]

Sobre las antiguas carreteras nacionales radiales que siguen conservando tramos sin desdoblar (con autopista de peaje como única alternativa):

N-I: Castañares (Burgos) - Armiñón (Álava); y San Sebastián - Irún (Guipúzcoa)
N-II: Alfajarín (Zaragoza) - Fraga (Huesca); y Barcelona - La Junquera (Gerona)
N-IV: Dos Hermanas (Sevilla) - Puerto Real (Cádiz)
N-VI: Collado Villalba (Madrid) - Adanero (Ávila)

Hay una autopista desde la frontera franco-española a París y no es de peaje, se llama La Meridienne y va por Clermont-Ferrand, la he usado varias veces, pero le faltaba algun tramo por construir, ahora creo que ya está completa, creo.

Si no me equivoco, el tramo que le faltaba a esa autopista (a menos que me equivoque y te refieras a otra diferente a la que me refiero) es el que ha sido salvado por el nuevo viaducto de Millau (al sur de Clermont-Ferrand)

El resto de la autopista no sé, pero el viaducto segurísimo que es de peaje (además te deben pegar un "leñazo" en condiciones)