Digital Twin of the A-21: Simulating the Phantom Highway of the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees Highway A-21, designed to structure northern Spain, has accumulated more than two decades of fragmented construction. Complete sections and state-of-the-art viaducts coexist with abrupt cuts in the asphalt, creating a phantom infrastructure. A digital twin allows modeling this disjointed reality to visualize the complete project and analyze the impact of the delay.

Parametric modeling of disjointed sections and orphaned viaducts 🛣️

Building the digital twin of the A-21 requires integrating LIDAR data, alignment plans, and BIM models of existing viaducts. The platform must align completed sections (such as the Jaca-Pamplona axis) with projected ones, using precise georeferencing. Disconnected viaducts, such as the one at Foz de Lumbier, are modeled individually to simulate their virtual connection. The system allows toggling between layers of real and planned progress, calculating continuity metrics and simulated traffic flow.

Visualizing abandonment to force completion ⚠️

Beyond engineering, this digital twin acts as a tool for denunciation and planning. By overlaying the current state onto the original design, the cost of administrative mismanagement is materialized. Citizens and managers can virtually tour the complete highway, understanding the magnitude of the missing sections. Traffic simulation highlights the savings in time and emissions that a completed A-21 could generate, transforming public data into an unstoppable visual narrative.

How can a digital twin of the A-21 simulate the impact of the historical fragmentation of its sections to predict future scenarios of connectivity and profitability in the Pyrenees?

(PS: don't forget to update the digital twin, or your real twin will complain)