The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has awarded for 18.1 million euros (VAT included) a contract for the conservation and exploitation of state roads in Cantabria.
The duration is three years, with the possibility of an extension of two years and an additional one of a maximum of nine months.
The specifications include requirements to promote energy efficiency and emission reduction and are part of the program of this Ministry to maintain the conditions of circulation, road and safety in the State Road Network (RCE), ensuring that it is accessible in the appropriate conditions to all citizens.
This contract, intended for the maintenance and conservation of 118,870 km of roads, including 62,630 km of motorway, covers several sections of the following roads of sector nº2 in Cantabria:
- A-67, between km 117,148 (Mataporquera) and 179,780 (Torrelavega).
- N-611, between km 120,815 (Mataporquera) and 137,350 (Matamorosa); between 139,620 (Matamorosa) and 172,200 (Los Corrales de Buelna); and between km 176,200 (Los Corrales de Buelna) and 180 (Cartes).
- N-611A, between km 129,025 and 129,425; and between km 131,650 and 131,950 (in Matamorosa).
In addition, the contract will cover the execution of the conditioning work of the vehicle containment system on the N-611 in the vicinity of km 165, as it passes over the railway in Arenas de Iguña.
Reduce emissions
Within the strategy of reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency, the tender documents of the conservation and exploitation contracts (COEX) of the State Road Network include objectives of mitigation and compensation of the carbon footprint, which means that companies must include in their offers the calculation of the carbon footprint that they will generate during the execution of the contract in each stretch of the road.
In 2022, energy efficiency measures were incorporated into service facilities such as self-consumption, renewable heating systems, energy saving measures in lighting or the implementation of electric vehicles.
In addition, since 2023, its commitment to submit, during the first six months of the contract, a decarbonization plan with the purpose of reaching the carbon neutral balance to five years from the beginning of the contract is included as an assessment criterion.
In this way, the awarding company has undertaken to submit such a plan, in which the compensation can be done through the absorption projects registered in the carbon footprint register, compensation and carbon dioxide absorption projects under the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge or through other options.
The aim is to reduce CO2 by 71,640 tonnes per year, which, according to calculations made by the General Directorate of Roads, results in the regular operation and maintenance and operation of the State Road Network.
These actions reinforce the orientation towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which this Ministry is committed: 9 (promotion of reliable, sustainable and quality infrastructure); 11 (access to safe, accessible and sustainable transport systems); 8 (contribution to economic growth and employment); and 7 (energy efficiency).
Conservation model characteristics
The model of mixed contracts (services and works) for the execution of conservation and exploitation operations aims to offer a comprehensive service of mobility to the user, improve the state of the road and network and optimize public resources.
Through them, works are carried out to help the roads and ordinary conservation of the roads, to allow the infrastructure and its functional elements to have the best possible conditions of circulation and safety. It includes actions such as: schedule of status information and programming, operating aid and road safety studies and maintenance of road elements with adequate levels of quality