There are several highways that, in recent years, have been rescued by the State: many of them are known as ‘radials’ and were built to alleviate the intense traffic that surrounded Madrid. It was not like that, but these roads continue to function and one of them will raise the barriers in one of its most congested sections. Within a few weeks, six kilometers of the R-2 will be free.
In 2019, the Ministry decided to lower the price of the R-2 tolls (an average of 30%) and, at the same time, gave facilities to drivers who paid with electronic devices: they enjoyed discounts of 18% (light vehicles ) and 10% (heavy). He also established certain gratuity: between 0:00 and 6:00 you can circulate through it without having to pay. A condition that is now extended to 24 hours a day, but only in a specific section.
6.5 kilometers in Guadalajara
This was confirmed these days by Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-la Mancha. As revealed in the Chain BEat the end of January the Board of your autonomous community and the Ministry of Development will sign an agreement to release the toll of the R-2 motorway: the cost of this decision will be borne by the castellanomanchego government. As we said, it will not affect the entire road: only the 6.5 kilometers that connect the Henares Industrial Estate with Taracena.
The focus has been placed on this part of the R-2 due to the high density of traffic (especially trucks) that it registers. Not surprisingly, it is the path chosen by many to go to two polygons: the Henares and the new City of Transport. This free is a request that has been waiting for an answer for years, since the unfolding of this road has not been carried out: liberalizing the toll was the alternative solution to dissolve the congestion.
As we said, vehicles that circulate will benefit from the gratuity from kilometer 54, located at the height of the Henares Industrial Estate (Marchamalo), to kilometer 60.5: a point located past the municipality of Taracena and before Valdenoches. These 6.5 kilometers correspond to the last section of the R-2 before the connection of this highway with the A2 highway in the province of Guadalajara.
The rescue of the R-2
The R-2, one of the radials of Madrid, was inaugurated on October 6, 2003. Its objective, like that of the rest, was to alleviate the traffic that was generated in the entrance and exit to the capital: it runs for 62 kilometers between the M-40 and Guadalajara.
At that time, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, it was expected to absorb about 100,000 vehicles a day: a figure that represented 30% of the circulation of the Corredor del Henares. This was not the case: only 25% of the expected traffic passes through it and, compared to the A-2, it has captured less than 10% of the traffic that the aforementioned dual carriageway has.
The concession belonged to Henarsa, a company resulting from the collaboration between Abertis, Acciona, Global Vía and Sacyr. We speak in the past tense because the company declared insolvency with a debt of 450 million euros. Reason why it was removed and, since 2018, it depends on the Sociedad Estatal de Infraestructuras del Transporte Terrestre (SEITT).
