Extremadura declares urgent expropriation for the EX-201 works

The Governing Council of the Junta de Extremadura has declared the urgency of the occupation of the lands necessary to execute the works for the “Improvement of road safety and homogenization of the EX-201 road. Section: LP Huelva–Segura de León”, a project co-financed with ERDF funds. The decision is adopted through Decree 160/2026, of September 1, published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) No. 173, of September 7, 2026, with reference 2026040203.

The declaration of urgency allows the administration to dispose of the lands before an agreement on the fair price is reached, accelerating the start of works aimed at reducing accidents in a high-risk section. The project was approved on July 25, 2025, and passed the public information process via the Announcement of May 11, 2026 (DOE No. 99, of May 26), without any objections being presented.

Competence Framework and Procedure

The Regional Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport, and Housing holds the competencies regarding the design, construction, conservation, and operation of the roads of the regional network, in accordance with Decree 113/2026, of May 26, in relation to the President’s Decree 11/2026, of April 29. The expropriation power belongs to the Junta by virtue of article 38.b) of the Statute of Autonomy, and the declaration of urgency is supported by article 52 of the Forced Expropriation Law of December 16, 1954.

The decree, adopted upon the proposal of counselor Francisco José Ramírez González and signed by president María Guardiola Martín, exhausts the administrative route. A contentious-administrative appeal may be filed against it before the High Court of Justice of Extremadura within two months, or an optional appeal for reversal within one month.

Planned Actions in the Section

The works are part of a broader project that also intervenes in roads EX-202 and EX-211. In the EX-201 section, between pk 26+150 (Huelva province border) and pk 33+400 (start of the new Segura de León bypass), the following is planned:

• Laying of a 6 cm reinforcement layer of semi-hot bituminous mix over an emulsion tack coat.
• Replacement of horizontal signage and restoration of beaconing and defense elements in poor condition.
• Reorganization of accesses on the right bank, between pk 31+950 and pk 32+314, through a service road parallel to the highway.

Affected Owners in Solana de los Barros

The list of affected parties, included in the annex of the decree, comprises rain-fed olive groves in the municipality of Solana de los Barros, with total and temporary occupations. Among the owners are Manuel Molina Dorado, José Romero Venegas, Pedro Jaramillo Pretel, Manuel Agudo Brioso, Francisco José Medina Díaz, the heirs of Ángel Maya Agudo, José Medina Chacón, Francisco Venegas Maya, Aurora Vita Contreras, Martin Winter, Dolores Chávez Jaramillo, and José Antonio Venegas Maya.

Relevance of the measure

The urgency is a response to an evident road safety problem: vehicle traffic in the area carries a high risk of accidents which, if the work is not executed swiftly, could worsen. Furthermore, as this is a project co-financed with ERDF funds (Policy Objective OP3, “A more connected Europe”, Investment Priority P.3.A Mobility), the rapid availability of the land is essential to meet execution commitments with the European Union and guarantee funding. The new infrastructure will improve the geometric characteristics of the layout, reduce the accident rate, and provide fluidity to the traffic converging in the area.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 173, September 7, 2026, section I (official reference: 2026040203).