The undergrounding of the Castellana will be almost one kilometer. Above the tunnel that will connect the Chamartín and Fuencarral-El Pardo districts as never before, there will be 70,000 m² of surface area that will be used to incorporate green areas.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid, presented one of the projects included in the underground project at the Torre de Cristal: the Castellana Park. The new tunnel will be covered by 69,800 square meters with 787 trees and 38,000 shrubs.
The Castellana Park will have a large central plaza formed by two contiguous circles. One will be completely open, and the other will have a steel and wood pergola with groundcover plants on the roof.
The final section of the park will have another pergola that will produce energy through photovoltaic panels. In addition, there will be a monumental fountain and play areas for children and adults to promote outdoor activities.
The project will unite in a single space the surroundings of the five towers and the Hospital Universitario La Paz with the former EMT colony and the future business center of Madrid Nuevo Norte. The works will begin in spring and will last 18 months.
Traffic cuts will be concentrated in summer. According to the Madrid City Council, “three lanes in each direction will always remain operational” in the section affected by the works. In addition, it has assured that the alterations will be signposted and signaled to guarantee road safety for drivers.