The spearheads of Spanish infrastructure are entering a key year to define their position in the increasingly competitive American market. After a year of relative success in 2025, construction companies are seeking to convert new opportunities into major contracts in the running which will be resolved in 2026. With increasingly differentiated strategies to consolidate within a board of directors redefined by Donald Trump, the paths of the Ibex groups converge in the coveted dynamic toll highways (managed routes). Spanish companies are closely following this market and have taken a position in the main calls for tenders which mobilize billions of investments and which will be settled in the coming months.
In Georgia, Ferrovial, ACS, Acciona and Sacyr will compete with the French company Vinci for one of the crown jewels: the Express Lanes I-285 East. After being pre-selected by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), alongside various partners, they will present their proposals, expected in the spring, to win the construction and operation of this highway within the framework of a contract budgeted, in the first phase, at more than 3,000 million euros. In the same state, Spanish companies study their entry into the ambitious expansion of the sector Express Lanes I-285 Westwhich is in the preliminary phase with an investment close to 4,000 million.
The highway is in a similar phase to the first I-77 southern North Carolinawhere the aforementioned Spanish groups and FCC finalize their alliances – according to what has been announced elEconomista- present its references in the coming months for the expansion and operation of this road project, budgeted around 3 billion euros, in which Ferrovial already has experience in another of its sections. With reference to managed routesthe group chaired by Rafael del Pino also knocked on the door of Pennsylvania highway I-76 take a position in a contract worth over 4 billion. They will also face their Spanish counterparts in the battle for the corridor. Southeast Tennessee I-24 Choice Lanes. A concession, lasting around 50 years, which carries an investment of more than 2.5 billion euros. Resolution of the project, which is attracting interest from the five major Spanish infrastructure groups, is scheduled for the second quarter.
A “golden” opportunity to diversify your portfolio
The scale of the American market, however, offers Spanish groups opportunities in important projects of a different nature, such as hydraulic, railway, port or military infrastructure. And faced with a scenario in which players like ACS base their growth on the diversification of their portfolio, the new year will put on the table of Spanish companies a strategic bouquet of contracts to develop their “made in USA” activities.
Due to their scale, Spanish companies are paying particular attention to the multimillion-dollar programs promoted by the armed forces of the renewed War Ministry. From ACS and Acciona, they hope to benefit from their positions in different Navy (US Navy) and Air Force (US Air Force) investment programs which, together, represent an investment of more than 25 billion. Also from Ferrovial, preferred contractor, through its Texan subsidiary Webber, to build military buildings in different parts of the country under a program budgeted at 6 billion in which he lives with ACS.
In the railway sector, FCC is pinning its hopes on Texas to win the contract to design and build the first phase of Austin light railvalued at around 2.8 billion. The resolution of the call for tenders in which it is participating in a consortium with Aecon, Jacobs and the Basque company Sener should start in 2026. A special mention in this section deserves the awaited high-speed line between Toronto and Quebec (Canada) which would later open up million dollar opportunities for Spanish referrals. Also in Canada, expected during next summer, the Vancouver Port Authority will review proposals, including ACS, to award the development of a new container terminal at the country’s busiest port with a budget close to 2.5 billion.
At the same time, the water infrastructure market is taking on particular importance in the United States, with state initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term supply to regions affected by drought. In this area, Acciona appears to be one of the players best placed to capitalize on this new investment cycle with projects such as the Private body of water in Arizonavalued at around 1 billion euros, in which it is looking for spaces with the help of the Fengate fund.
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