In order to solve the traffic congestion around Madrid, the radial toll-highway system was conceived as an alternative to enlarging the existing free highways. However, they were enlarged anyway, which resulted in the newly build toll-highways receiving only one-fourth of the forecasted traffic. The concessionary companies of all four radial highways, as well as five other toll-highway concessionaires around Spain, have filed for bankruptcy. Now, the government must find a solution that saves the Spanish taxpayers from paying a €5 billion bill.