Supreme Court orders Audasa to refund tolls on AP-9 during 2015–2018 construction works causing traffic jams

The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that Audasa must refund tolls collected between February 2015 and June 2018 on the AP-9 highway, which connects La Coruña and Vigo in Galicia. This decision comes after a prolonged legal battle over the tolls charged while extensive construction works were carried out on the Rande bridge over the Vigo estuary (ría de Vigo) in Pontevedra. The court found that despite the works causing more than 200 traffic jams, including 81 severe incidents, Audasa did not reduce the toll prices nor provide sufficient advance information to drivers so they could choose alternative routes. This lack of service transparency and continued full toll charges amounted to an "abusive" practice and broke the balance with the users who were forced to pay despite significant traffic disruptions. This ruling overturns a previous court decision favoring Audasa and confirms that the company must refund all the overpaid tolls. The court specifically limited the refund obligation to this case concerning the AP-9 and its construction works, not extending it automatically to other highways managed by Audasa. For expats and newcomers, the AP-9 is the main highway along the Galician coast, crucial for travel between major cities like La Coruña, Vigo, and Pontevedra. The construction works significantly affected daily commuting, and now affected drivers can expect to recover some of their expenses following the Supreme Court's ruling.