THE AP-7 motorway between Alicante and Tarragona went toll-free at midnight on New Year’s Eve after 48 years operating as a pay-to-use highway.
Scrapping the tolls will save residents of Elche alone around €10 million per year, according to mayor Carlos González.
He said it was a historic achievement after decades of campaigning to end what was ‘a charge for all Valencia region residents, especially those in the south, and a severe limitation to the integration of the area’.
By Alex Watkins and Dave Jones