After the Civil War and during the following decades, Spain experienced what some call the “economic miracle.” Infrastructure began multiplying at a frantic pace, and since the car had become a symbol of personal success, it was decided that highways were needed. Lots of highways. A mountain village with only ten residents? Let us build a four-lane highway all the way there!
The 1960s and 1970s brought a road-building boom. Every self-respecting politician opened a road or bridge with a colorful ribbon and a huge smile, even if there was not much traffic around. Asphalt became the new religion of progress, and Spain was paved from north to south, with more roads than a plumber has pipes.
The funny thing is that, despite all that effort, some of those highways were designed with typical Spanish improvisation. Routes zigzagging without much logic, toll booths appearing in the least convenient places, and connections that, well, disconnected more than they connected. But at least we had the illusion that progress was moving forward, even if we did not know exactly where it was going.