Madrid is about to complete one of its most ambitious works, which has been disrupting traffic and surrounding homes for some time. The burial of the A-5 This Monday it reached a key milestone by connecting two sections of the tunnel that were being excavated independently. The good news for drivers: before the end of 2026 They will be able to circulate through the tunnel. And for the residents of the southwest of Madrid, the City Council will put out to tender this month the works that will convert the surface into the promised great green promenade.
What has happened? This Monday an excavator broke the earth wall that separated two underground galleries under Villamanín Street, thus joining two sections into a continuous 1.3 kilometer tunnel. The cale, which is what the operation that has been carried out to achieve this is called, will be repeated until completing the total 3.8 kilometers of the burial. So far, 2.1 kilometers have been excavated along the entire route, as confirmed by the City Council.
The deadlines are maintained. The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, guaranteed that “before the end of the year it will be possible to circulate” through the tunnel, thus fulfilling the initial forecasts despite the meteorological difficulties. According to Almeida, this January “it rained twice as much as in January 2025”, which has complicated the work.
The schedule seems to be going intact, with 600 workers and 400 machines working daily in the area. It should also be noted that the project has progressed mainly underground, which has protected the work from the rains.
What happens to the surface. This February the contract to develop the Paseo Verde del Suroeste will go out to tender, with an approximate budget of 75 million euros. The mayor advertisement that the surface works will start in November, when traffic already circulates through the tunnel, with the intention of creating 80,000 square meters of green areas. The goal is for residents to be able to walk through at least one of their gardens in spring 2027.
Union. The works aim to eliminate a physical barrier that has fragmented neighborhoods such as Lucero, Campamento, Batán and Aluche. In this way, the objective is that the tens of thousands of cars that circulate daily on the A-5 can do so underground, while residents can cross from one side to the other without the need for underpasses. The Madrid City Council considers this work “the most emblematic that is being done in the city since the burying of the M-30”, according to counted Almeida.
The next step. The priority of the work now is to complete the excavation of the tunnels, scheduled for April, followed by the installation of ventilation systems, emergency exits, cameras and extractors. The Consistory has guaranteed that no further traffic detours will be necessary until the end of the works. In fact, some of the current ones are going to be eliminated, such as the curved detour of the Amusement Park that was already eliminated on January 14, and those of Yébenes, Boadilla and Batán, which will be eliminated in the summer.
Technique. Just like share Since 20 Minutes, the project uses the ‘cut and cover’ method, which allows it to work in parallel both underground and on the surface. First the retaining walls were built using piles, then the slabs that cover the tunnel were installed (already 83.5% completed), now excavation is underway under these slabs and, finally, the surface will be urbanized while the tunnel is given its final finishing touch.
And now what. The City Council is already working on drafting a second phase that contemplate bury another additional 700 meters to extend the tunnel to Cuatro Vientos. This expansion should go “in parallel with Operation Camp,” according to the mayor, although it is still in the preliminary project phase.
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