The Council of Ministers, at its meeting today and on the proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has approved a Royal Decree that regulates the direct granting of a grant of 40 million euros to the Foral Community of Navarre, distributed in the years 2024, 2025 and 2026, to finance the actions of modernization and improvement of the tunnels of Belate and Almandoz, located on the N-121-A road.
The actions included in this grant will consist of:
(a) Splitting of the Belate tunnel. The new gallery will have an approximate length of 2.9 km with five galleries connecting to the existing tunnel.
(b) Splitting of the Almandoz tunnel. The new gallery will have an approximate length of 1.4 km with two galleries connecting to the existing tunnel.
(c) Measures for upgrading the facilities in both tunnels, including signalling, safety and ventilation systems.
The deadline for completion of these works will be June 30, 2028.
The payment of the subsidy will be made in three parts, once the concession resolution is issued:
(a) The first payment, amounting to EUR 5 million, shall be made within one month of notification of the concession decision.
b) The second payment, amounting to 15 million euros, will be paid in the year 2025, before 30 November of that year, within a period of one month from the date on which the granting body informs the beneficiary entity that it has received the justification for the execution of the first payment.
c) The third payment, amounting to 20 million euros, will be made in the year 2026, before 30 November of that year, within a period of one month from the date on which the granting body informs the beneficiary entity that it has received the justification for the execution of the second payment.
This grant will allow the Government of Navarre, as a beneficiary, to carry out the necessary works to ensure that both tunnels, which are owned by the Government and form part of the trans-European network, comply with Directive 2004/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004.
This subsidy adds to another 55 million euros already transferred by the Government of Spain between 2018 and 2023 for other actions to improve the N-121-A road, which allows the union with France, through its conversion into a 2+1 road.