Spanish Giants Join Forces for $3.7B I-77 South Expansion Bid

Spain’s top infrastructure companies — Acciona, ACS, FCC, Ferrovial, and Sacyr — are joining forces to compete for a landmark transportation project in the United States. The firms are preparing consortium bids for the expansion and long-term operation of the I-77 South motorway in North Carolina, a contract valued between $3.2 billion and $3.7 billion (€2.77 billion to €3.2 billion).

According to reporting from elEconomista.es and shared by Link Securities, the Spanish construction leaders are now finalizing their consortium structures, with submissions expected by mid-December 2025. The project, which will employ a managed lanes model, aims to expand one of North Carolina’s most critical transportation corridors to accommodate rapid regional growth and relieve congestion in the Charlotte metropolitan area.

The I-77 South expansion project will likely mirror similar large-scale U.S. infrastructure efforts where private developers finance, build, and operate highways under public-private partnership (P3) frameworks. These arrangements are becoming increasingly attractive to European firms seeking stable, long-term investments in the American infrastructure market.

For now, ACS and Acciona are reportedly advancing discussions with several global investment funds and infrastructure operators to form competitive consortiums. However, the specific partners involved in each group have not yet been disclosed.

The participation of these firms underscores Spain’s growing influence in the U.S. construction and infrastructure sector. Each of the bidding companies brings deep expertise in complex highway, rail, and urban mobility projects:

• ACS Group, through subsidiaries like Dragados and Turner Construction, has a long-standing U.S. presence and has been involved in major highway and transit projects nationwide.
• Acciona has strengthened its footprint in North America through renewable energy and civil infrastructure developments.
• Ferrovial, which recently relocated its global headquarters to the U.S., continues to invest heavily in toll road operations and sustainable transport solutions.
• FCC Construcción and Sacyr are also expanding in the region, targeting projects that combine engineering complexity with long-term operational revenue.

Industry analysts view this project as a major opportunity for European construction firms to deepen their ties with U.S. state transportation agencies. With the Biden administration continuing to prioritize infrastructure modernization, the I-77 South expansion could serve as a model for future cross-border partnerships.

The I-77 South corridor, which runs through a rapidly growing region of North Carolina, has seen increasing congestion as population and freight volumes surge. The proposed expansion will add managed lanes designed to optimize traffic flow, enhance safety, and support economic growth along the corridor.

If awarded, the project would represent one of the largest infrastructure investments in the region’s history — and a pivotal move in Spain’s ongoing expansion into North America’s lucrative highway concession market.

Originally reported by The Corner.