Work on the future Parque Castellana is progressing as planned: the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has visited the ongoing work on this project, which will culminate in the underground relocation of Paseo de la Castellana between Sinesio Delgado Street and the M-30 North Interchange.
Work is currently focused on the finishing touches and installations in the tunnel—whose excavation has just been completed—and on the surface development. This tunnel, which will be operational this coming December, will channel traffic underground.
Thus, once the surface-level work is complete, only public transportation and local traffic accessing the buildings will be allowed to circulate, according to the Madrid City Council.
A photovoltaic pergola to power the tunnel
The most striking feature of Parque Castellana will be the large photovoltaic pergola, weighing 33 metric tons and standing 35 meters tall, which will supply power to the tunnel.
Its construction is underway, and once completed, it will provide the northern area of Parque Castellana with a monumental elliptical structure featuring a 2,500 m² photovoltaic surface and a peak installed capacity of 340 kW.
Once completed, the tunnel will allow connection through this interchange to other high-capacity roads, as is currently the case (M-30, M-607, A-1, and M-11), and will feature three lanes in each direction, while the future extension will have a single span with two lanes.
Construction on Castellana Park
This project, with an investment of 110.2 million euros, will integrate the area surrounding the five towers and La Paz University Hospital with the San Cristóbal neighborhood and the future Madrid Nuevo Norte business district into a single area.
The city government maintains that this project will transform Paseo de la Castellana into a gathering place rather than a barrier—in an area where tensions frequently arise between the needs of the neighborhood and efforts to strengthen the area’s role as a financial, business, and even tourist hub.
Meanwhile, the 70,000m² space created above the tunnel will feature gathering areas, recreational spaces, and walking paths, as well as playgrounds, calisthenics equipment, shaded pergolas, a large fountain, a bike lane, and 772 new trees.
