Spain is studying the recovery of historic roads in the style of Route 66
24 September, 2025The Spanish Railway Foundation and the General Directorate of Roads have signed an agreement for the recovery of historic roads of the State Road Network, with the aim of revaluing them as heritage and tourist attractions. The project is inspired by the model of the Greenways, which since 1993 have converted former railway lines into non-motorised routes totalling over 3,500 kilometres.
In a first phase, the collaboration will focus on the exchange of information, the search for synergies and the application of methodologies developed in the Greenways programme. As a pilot project, the Foundation has presented a project for the recovery of a section of the N-IV road in Despeñaperros, between Almuradiel (Ciudad Real) and Santa Elena (Jaén), with an approximate length of 28.6 kilometres.
The agreement is part of the IVAPCHETE project (Identification, Valuation and Heritage Analysis of Historic State Roads), promoted by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. According to its managing director, José Ramón Sempere, the initiative aims for these roads to follow the path of the Greenways, combining conservation, tourism and local development.