The Commercial Court number 6 of Madrid, Spain, has recently stated that the radial highways R-3 Madrid-Arganda and R-5 Madrid-Navalcarnero, and the Alicante bypass highway will be closed to traffic on October 1, 2106 if the Spanish Infrastructure Ministry (Fomento) does not assume the management of roads before that date.

According to the local press, the judge has ordered to current concessionaires the termination of the concession contract and the complete cessation of business at 00.00 October 1, 2016.

The R-3 and R-4 radial highways are controlled by Abertis, which has a 35% stake in the concessionaire (Accesos de Madrid), in which also is involved Sacyr, with 25% and Bankia and ACS with 20% each. On the other side, the Alicante bypass highway concessionaire (Ciralsa) is controlled by ACS, with 50%, and by Abertis and Globalvia, with 25% each.

The courts have already declared the settlement of other two highways also in bankruptcy, the M-12 Barajas Airport - Madrid highway and AP-36 Ocaña - La Roda.

The eight toll road in bankruptcy in Spain at this moment are the following:

• 4 radial highways in Madrid, R-2, R-3, R-4, and R-5
• Alicante bypass highway
• M-12 Barajas Airport - Madrid highway
• Madrid - Toledo highway
• Cartagena - Vera highway

The "Responsibilidad Patrimonial" (RPA), the price the Government would have to pay to rescue these highways, could amount to between €5 billion to €8 billion, according to various industry sources.

In July 2014 we reported that the concessionaire of AP-36 Ocaña - La Roda highway, one of the nine highway operators in bankruptcy at that moment in the country, offered to its lenders an agreement to postpone the payment of its debt 43 years, until 2057.