HISTORY
The first section of motorway was built in 1944. By 1961 the network consisted of 32 km of motorways, 24 km being subject to a toll charge. A further 23 km were added in 1966, the year in which the bridge over the Tejo in Lisbon was opened.
The first motorway concession has been awarded in 1972 to BRISA ; today the network extension is 1.106 km. The second concession has been awarded to LUSOPONTE for the construction of the new Vasco de Gama bridge and the management of this bridge and the old one suspended over the Tejo river. In december
1998 and in July 1999 two new concessions has been awarded to Auto-Estradas do Atlantico and to AENOR, respectively of 165 km and of 190 km.
At this moment 938,5 km of toll motorways and infrastructures are in operation. BRISA has 141 km motorways under construction.
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATIONS
The toll charges are set according to the economic and financial situation. They are reviewed annually on the basis of 90% of the consumer price index.
In the case of BRISA, the state can guarantee the loans of the concessionaire, and can finance up to 20% of new constructions, if the case, the Communitary funds.
In the case of the other concessionaires which are going to start the construction of new trunks, the State develops the acquisition process and pays the needed land.
MOTORWAYS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The extension of the Portuguese motorway network has enhanced regional development by improving acces to town centres, with industry and commerce the main beneficiaries.
There is also a tendency for new businesses to develop in the areas around motorway interchanges. The A3,
A1 and A2 motorways have improved communications between the north of Portugal and the north-west of Spain (Galicia) and between the south of Portugal (Algarve) and south-western Spain (Andalucia).
Also the A6 motorway assures a link between Lisbon and Madrid will shortly. The A4, A7 and A8 routes have opened up regions that were hithherto very badly served.
In 1998 the average daily annual traffic on the whole of the Portuguese motorway network has represented, 27.704 vehicles.
FUTURE TRENDS
At the moment, there are 4 toll motorways and infrastructures concessionary companies, with a network in concession of 1.485 km. But other concessions are already in the public procurement phase. There are also other motorway concessionary companies, toll free, in a regimen of " shadow toll " in the regions where the traffic, at the moment, is not important and this would not be attractive for a private company to manage in toll regimen.
Today all the concessionary companies are private. In the case of BRISA, after the third phase of privatisation, the State holds only the 3,74% of the company social capital.
The environmental demands of the authorities and the ecologists are forcing the execution of costly environmental impact studies, which are placing an increasingly heavy burden on construction costs.
As far as new technologies are concerned, selfdraining pavements have been well received by users who welcome their impact on safety in wet weather and as regards reducing noise.
The " Via verde " electronic toll collection system, created by BRISA together with a Norwegian firm is operating on the whole of the motorway network. It already has 750.000 subscribers.
In the case of BRISA 63% of the revenues is collected by electronic means, where the 45% is from the teletoll without stop system "VIA VERDE".
Finally, a number of projects are in hand with a view to developing systems for the safety, surveillance
and information of users and for traffic control.
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