I just reviewed the road tender documents, and there's something most didn't see coming: the Vialidad Nacional has added 50 new toll booths along these corridors. Currently, there are 39 stations spread across 10 sections. With this upcoming addition, we will have 89. That's no small number.

The interesting part is why. Right now, many cars enter the Tramo Atlántico of the ruta 5, circulate between toll booths, and escape without paying. With more toll points spaced closer together, that becomes more difficult. The system designed by Vialidad Nacional calculates around $3500 per 100 kilometers, but revenue increases not only because of higher toll rates but also because there will be more places to stop.

Looking in detail at what's coming: the Tramo Sur will add seven new stations (Gorchs, Azul, Chillar, Tres Arroyos, Dorrego, Saladillo, and Unzué). The Tramo Atlántico, which currently has three, will add one more. The autopista Ezeiza-Cañuelas, which already has seven, will have four additional toll booths. On ruta 5, the number will go from three to five.

But here’s what raises concerns: none of the 16 corridors have a serious plan to address traffic congestion. The work obligations are minimal. We're talking about pothole repairs, cleaning, and in some cases, roundabouts or minor expansions. Nothing about adding lanes to eliminate overtaking in the opposite lane or reducing head-on collision risks.

For example, in the Tramo Mediterráneo of ruta 7, four toll stations are added, but the mandatory works are limited to repaving 6 kilometers, building a pedestrian overpass, and some access points. No additional lanes. The same applies to the Tramo Cuyo, where the variante Palmira is planned, but the rest is quite limited.

This explains why the interest from concessionaires is so high. Grupo Cartellone, Aubasa, and others from the traditional public works circuit see a huge toll revenue stream with very few real investment requirements. The pliegos allow bids for 20 to 30 years of concession, and once the initial upgrade tasks are completed, they can access the cláusula de actualización automática.

There’s one detail that will probably spark debate later: Telepase will have a special mode. If you pay at one station and arrive at another within three hours, you are only charged once. But that’s just a patch.

In the second half of the year, pothole repairs will begin, followed by the new toll booths. That’s when the debate will explode. Meanwhile, the hopes for a truly improved road network continue to wait.