Borja Carabante, delegate for Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility, has confirmed that the works for the undergrounding of the A-5 will begin before October 15. The remodeling of the highway will be carried out within the framework of the largest urban development project of Almeida’s term of office, which includes the development of new landscaped areas in the southwest of Madrid.
According to Carabante, the undergrounding of the A-5 aims to “make life easier for the residents of the neighborhood by generating 80,000 square meters of green areas, recovering space for citizens while promoting sustainable mobility”.
In addition, by burying the highway from Avenida de Portugal to Avenida del Padre Damián, it is expected that there will be less noise and environmental pollution. In other words, a partial reduction in the noise, largely caused by highway traffic, which affects the inhabitants of the Latina district.
Will the highway continue to operate?
The Partido Popular de Madrid and the Consorcio General de Transportes are working together on an alternative mobility plan that will allow access to Madrid via the A-5 while the works are being carried out. Carabante has promised to publish this new plan before Monday, October 7.
For the time being, the City Council has assured that two lanes of the highway will remain in operation for the rest of the month. In addition, the council has sent a letter to residents of the district with a QR code which, when scanned, shows updated information on future detours and road closures.
The works are scheduled to be completed in 25 months, in November 2026. By then, the A-5 will boast a new tunnel with six lanes -three in each direction-, two of them (those closest to the roadway) designed for buses and high-occupancy vehicles. The surface of this tunnel will have areas for cyclists and pedestrians that will facilitate walking or cycling from Casa de Campo to Madrid Río and Puerta del Ángel.