Although each mega-construction that occurs always represents a technical challenge, doing so on one of the busiest points in Spain makes the process even more difficult. The one of Sales Park aims to build a park of more than 16,000 square meters on 16 traffic lanes at the point with the highest vehicle intensity in Spain. Hence the challenge, since the operation must advance without collapsing Madrid.
Night operations. Raising a 197-meter structure supported by 128 pillars on the M-30 is complex, but feasible. Just like they count From El Mundo, the truly complicated thing is to do it without paralyzing the traffic of a city of more than three million inhabitants. Javier Nájera, head of the City Council’s structures service, told the media that working on that stretch during the day could cause traffic jams of up to 14 hours a day. That is why they decided to concentrate the most critical works in summer, when traffic intensity drops by 40%, and carry out the most delicate operations at night.
Technical challenge. At night, two cranes weighing more than 500 tons take position on the M-30 to advance the construction process. According to counted Nájera in the middle, nothing more than the assembly of these cranes requires about four hours, but they are very useful for lifting concrete beams of up to 200 tons and 40 meters in length. The structure requires 96 of these beams, and at six in the morning of each day worked, everything must be collected as if nothing had happened so as not to hinder traffic.
Huge beams that force a plant to close. The beams arrive from factories in Rivas Vaciamadrid and Seville. According to what they tell the media, this is because the Community of Madrid does not have more production capacity for this type of structural elements. Manufacturing a single beam of these characteristics requires the complete closure of an industrial plant. Nájera tells El Mundo that transportation from Andalusia is more expensive, but it would be unfeasible to produce them in a single factory for the pace they need.
Rehabilitation. During the initial excavation, pools of water appeared on the hard ground that were not foreseen in the geotechnical studies, Nájera told the outlet. The work had to be readjusted on the fly. Unforeseen events are common in this type of construction, but when working on the main traffic artery in Spain, each day of delay multiplies their impact. In fact, the start of construction on the last day of June coincided with several accidents that caused significant delays, a brief reminder of how tight the margin of error can be.
Prepare the land for 1,060 trees. The future platform will support 110,031 tons, including permanent loads and intended uses. Najera account that would resist even the passage of tanks crossing from one side to the other. For the park to function, a triple layer of waterproofing will be installed with asphalt sheets, anti-root meshes and a system of aeration cells so that the trees can grow and develop without problems. The same method was also used in Madrid Río.
Eight walkways to save centuries-old cedars. The intention is to connect both banks of the M-30 through eight pedestrian walkways that will meander to avoid damaging the ancient cedars. These walkways will connect the Quinta de la Fuente del Berro park with the green area of Ciudad Lineal, a corridor that would benefit more than 140,000 residents.
The lanes are now open, but a lot of work remains. The M-30 recovered all its lanes operational a month and a half in advance of what was planned. Traffic effects are now limited to nighttime hours, although speed is still limited to 50 km/h on this stretch. Of the 128 piles that will support the roof, 73 have already been installed, and the first transverse beams began to be placed at the end of November. With an investment of 78.9 million euros, the project is scheduled to be completed by spring 2027.
What comes next. Once the main structure is completed, the installation of the garden areas, playgrounds, calisthenics elements, a small outdoor auditorium, kiosks and LED lighting systems will begin. Of course, until the park shows its first trees, there is still work to do.
Cover image | Google Maps
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings