The Spanish government has launched a E249bn Euro transport strategy that will link provincial towns through a network of rail and freeways. This is expected to lead to a major new wave of development.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero says the 15-year plan will pave the way for high-speed travel between the countrys provincial capitals by road or rail without having to go through Madrid. He adds that the program would give Spain one of the "most advanced" infrastructure networks in Europe and would in turn boost the domestic economy.

The objective of the plan is to ensure that 94% of the country will be within 30 kilometers of a freeway and 90% of the population will have access to a high-speed rail connection within 50 kilometers of their homes when the programme is complete in 2020.

Nearly half the funds will go to railways, including expanding and improving links with Europe. A little more than a quarter of the marked capital will be spent on expanding the road network. The biggest improvements are expected in the regions of Teruel, Ciudad Real, Salamanca, Cuenca, Soria, Zamora and Cáceres.

A government spokesperson said that the infrastructure program will "open up provincial capitals for development. Most of the major development in Spain has been in Madrid. This will open up the possibility of spreading the countrys wealth to smaller cities."