Dirección Nacional de Vialidad (also called Vialidad Nacional; English: National Directorate of Roads), is an Argentine government agency controlled by the Secretariat of Transport. Its mission is to project, build, maintain, improve and expand the road transport network in Argentina. In the case of executing extensions, the DNV has powers to declare the land corresponding to the road as public utility, which enabled the beginning of expropriation trials. The DNV had 2,802 employees in 2006.Ministry of Economy and Production At the moment of the announce of its dissolution in 2025, the plant had increased to 5,184, of which 67% fulfilled administrative functions and 33% were in charge of operational functions.El Gobierno cerró Vialidad Nacional on Infobae, 8 Jul 2025
The dissolution of the agency had been announced by the Government of Argentina in a press conferenceAdorni anunció el cierre de Vialidad. 7 Jul 2025El Decreto de Milei que disuelve Vialidad at La Nación and officialised one day later through decree n° 461/2025.Decreto 461/2025 on Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina, 8 Jul 2025 Nevertheless, On July 17, 2025, the court of General San Martín Partido gave rise to a precautionary presented, suspending the dissolution. The government appealed the ruling.La Justicia suspendió el decreto de Milei que disuelve Vialidad, pero el Gobierno apelará on La Nación, 18 Jul 2025
Decree 461 was then rejected by the Argentine National Congress so Vialidad continued operating.
History
Background In 1922, the First National Congress of Roads was held in Argentina, followed by the First Pan American Congress of Roads held in Buenos Aires in 1925.Primer Congreso Panamericano de Carreteras. Buenos Aires, 5-16 de Octubre, 1925 on dipublico.org5 de Octubre- Día del Camino y la Seguridad VialAAC invita al Seminario Internacional “A 100 años del Primer Congreso Panamericano de Carreteras” on Asociación Argentina de Carreteras (AAC)
During the presidency of Marcelo T. de Alvear, the Minister of Public Works, Roberto M. Ortiz, presented to the Argentine National Congress a draft road legislation, although it was never discussed.Discurso y praxis contra el fraude: consideraciones sobre lapolítica reformista de Roberto M. Ortiz (1938-1940) by Ignacio A. López on Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina
Between 1928 and 1932, numerous projects which promoted the consideration of the road issues, were also presented with the support of provincial legislators and civil organizations such as the Touring Club Argentino (TCA). Technical advisors, such as engineers Roberto Kurtz and Lucas A. Barrionuevo, collaborated with deputies to justify the bills, emphasizing the importance of technical knowledge to legitimize the proposals.
During these discussions, international road experiences were analyzed, especially those from the United States, Italy, and Germany. The American road system was considered a model to follow for its ability to develop automobile-friendly roads, shortening distances between cities and improving traffic flow. In terms of organization, the Italian proposal stood out for its institutional autonomy, guaranteeing the continuity of construction projects regardless of political changes. Furthermore, consideration was given to Canada's experience in financing highways through gasoline taxes and the expropriation of land to enhance the value of areas near new roads.
Establishment
The "Dirección Nacional de Vialidad" was created in October 1932 through law 11.658.LEY NACIONAL DE VIALIDAD - CREACION on Argentina.gob.ar The DNV, established under the government of Agustín P. Justo, was an autonomous entity of the national state, transforming the former department of the Ministry of Public Works. By the 1930s, the National Roads Law was a response to the demands of various social sectors seeking a low-cost trunk road system. In 1931, the country had only 2,000 km of roads.Vialidad Nacional: 90 años. Rincón de Milberg. Área Cuatro, 2023. ISBN 978-987-47286-1-6
The first Director of Vialidad National was Justiniano Allende Posse, who was a strong impeller of the national roads system.Novísimo Diccionario Biográfico Argentino. Tomo I Cutolo, Vicente (2004). Elche. pp. 46-47. Allende Posse was in charge until 1938. Under his direction, the road system of Argentina increased from 2,000 to 30,000 km.Kilómetro cero: la construcción del universo simbólico del camino en la Argentina de los años treinta by Anahí Ballent on Universidad Nacional de Quilmes – Conicet
With a budget of mn$ 60 million between 1932 and 1934, increased to almost 70 million for the next two years. Some finished roads under Allende Posse's direction included route 5 (Mercedes to Chivilcoy), bridges over Salado River and Samborombón of RN 2, some paths of RP 11, the route from Neuquén to Zapala, among other works.GestiónIng. Justiniano Allende Posse | periodo de gestión: 1932-1937 on DNV (archived)
Minister of Public Works Juan Pistarini was another impeller of a large number of road and infrastructure projects. Among his most notable works were the construction of thousands of kilometers of roads, the right-hand traffic transition, and the construction of Ezeiza International Airport and the highway connecting it to Buenos Aires. Pistarini brought together regional and sectoral representatives, involving stakeholders from the transportation and communications sectors in his leadership.Quién fue el ministro Juan Pistarini y por qué el aeropuerto de Ezeiza lleva su nombre: su historia de vida y muerte on El Destape The government focused on the construction, maintenance, and improvement of roads, developing a national highway system that connected provincial capitals, production centers, ports, and railway stations. The transition to right-hand traffic was implemented on June 10, 1945.El día en que en la Argentina se paralizó el tránsito para dejar de manejar “a la inglesa” y circular por la derecha by Adrián Pignatelli on Infobae. 10 June 2024
1970s to 1990s On July 24, 1979, during the National Reorganization Process government, the highways were transferred to the provinces, so Vialidad Nacional lost several of its functions.REMODELACION DE LA RED NACIONAL DE CAMINOS Decreto Nacional 1.595/79. BUENOS AIRES, 5 de Julio de 1979, Boletín Oficial, 24 de Julio de 1979
Towards the beginning of the 1980s, the fiscal deficits recorded by the National Government, particularly in the second half of the 1980s, resulted in a considerable portion of the resources traditionally allocated to road system infrastructure being diverted to other areas. This situation of growing neglect reached its peak between 1985 and 1990, which led to the worsening of the critical state of national roads. In 1989, barely a third of the paved national road network was passable.Arza, C., Azpiazu, D. y Pesce, J.: “Evolución de las tarifas de peaje en los corredores viales nacionales. Antecedentes normativos y consideraciones metodológicas”, FLACSO, Buenos Aires, marzo 2002
In 1988 during the government of Raúl Alfonsín the first road concessions to private groups began, through the minister Rodolfo Terragno, in a private meeting it was agreed that half of the kilometers would be awarded among the largest contractors, 22% to Grupo Roggio, 17% SOCMA (owned by Franco Macri) and 11% to Techint).Robo para la Corona by Horacio Vertbinsky, p 320 – Editorial Planeta The bidding for 9,800 km of national routes was resolved, which represented 25% of the total by extension, but meant 50% of the traffic and 66% of the possible collection, the leonine conditions have the contracts signed by the State were obtained through bribery.”El origen de los peajes en Argentina by Humberto Zambón on La Mañana de Neuquén
In 1990, specific funds for roads were eliminated, allowing the National Highway Administration to receive funds directly from allocations indicated in the General Budget of the Nation. That year, the Argentine National Congress also passed the State reform laws, which required the roads with the highest traffic volume to be transferred to private concessionaires. Road concessions faced problems with the design of their normative or regulatory framework; road concessions on highway corridors were subject to an almost systematic situation of non-compliance or renegotiation of certain contractual clauses by the companies.Arza, C. y González García, A.: “Transformaciones en el sistema vial argentino. Las concesiones por peaje”, del Proyecto “Privatización y Regulación en la Economía Argentina”, FLACSO Buenos Aires, febrero de 1998.
With the arrival of Carlos Menem to the presidency of Argentina, the Macri Group expanded its business through some of the privatizations considered scandalous.PRIVATIZACIONES, RENTAS DE PRIVILEGIO, SUBORDINACIÓN ESTATAL Y ACUMULACIÓN DEL CAPITAL EN LA ARGENTINA CONTEMPORÁNEA by Daniel Azpiazu y Martín Schorr In 1990, Servicios Viales S.A. was awarded the toll concession for 1,080.51 kilometers of national routes.Del prontuario de Mauricio on Alternativa Socialista Including a complaint from the Anti-Corruption Office against Fernando De la Rúa and several of his ministers for fraud against the public administration, embezzlement of public funds, and negotiations incompatible with public office, following two decrees that favored the concessionaires of major national routes. Among those accused was the Undersecretary of Public Works, Edgardo Gastón Plá, who had worked at Sideco Americana de Chile, two firms that were part of the Macri business conglomerate.Macri, una trayectoria cercana al Estado by José Natanson on Página/12
In February 1991, the cost of tolls increased by almost 70% to such an extent that the basic rate for a car was, on average, among the highest in the world, around US$2.50/50 km.La privatización del sistema vial en la Argentina: ¿errores de diseño o desmedidos privilegios para una fracción del poder económico local? – Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. SedeArgentina. 2003 The concession of the road network was left in the hands of an oligopoly of companies, including Autopistas Ezeiza-Cañuelas S.A., Coviares S.A. Grupo Concesionario del Oeste S.A. and Autopistas del Sol S.A., among them several managers of the latter who would be investigated for bribery.Azpiazu, D. y Schorr, M.: “Privatizaciones en la Argentina. Desnaturalización de la regulación pública y ganancias extraordinarias”, en Revista Realidad Económica, Nº 184, Buenos Aires, 2001
2000s Decree 802 of June 15, 2001, created a state-owned company called ENAVIAL, liquidating the DNV.Administración López - Vialidad Nacional Following intervention by the National Congress, the measure was reversed in August of the same year.
By National Decree 1020 of 2009, the "Control Agency Road Concessions" (, mostly known for its acronym OCCOVI)EL ROL REGULADOR DEL ESTADO EN LASOBRAS VIALES CONCESIONADAS became dependent on DNV.Decreto 1020/2009. 30-jul-2009 on Boletín Oficial #31709, p.1, 5 Aug 2009 This body had the power to oversee compliance with concession contracts for nearly 10,000 km of high-traffic national roads.
During the administration of President Néstor Kirchner, a "National Road Plan" was launched. The plan included investments for the construction of 1,300 km of new roads, the paving of 4,100 km of national routes, and the coverage of the entire national road network with maintenance works. Furthermore, maintenance work was extended to the entire paved road network, whereas in 2003 it was only covered 50%. These investments, from 2003 to 2014, resulted in a 130% growth in the Argentine road network.Los cambios en la red vial argentina on Revista Vial. 16 Oct 2013