The A-5 will open its new tunnel in Madrid on December 23, earlier than expected

The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has announced that the A-5 tunnel will open to traffic on December 23, a few months earlier than expected. The opening benefits drivers and residents of Latina.

Drivers using the A-5 and residents of Latina are the main ones affected by the mobility change announced in the southwest of Madrid. According to elconfidencialdigital.com, the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, communicated during the Madrid Breakfasts, organized by Europa Press, that the new tunnel will open to traffic on December 23. This date is earlier than the timelines that placed the service start at the beginning of 2027.

Traffic on the A-5 will be possible that day with the section completely underground. Before that, the City Council of Madrid must complete the connection with the existing tunnel, which will require demolishing another exit ramp. The delegate for Urbanism and Mobility, Borja Carabante, explained that this cut will take place at the end of November or in the first weeks of December, and that the City Council is still discussing with the awarded company how to minimize the impacts. The exact date of the cut has not yet been communicated.

The first phase of the underground work runs from Avenida de Portugal to Calle del Padre Piquer, with an investment of 410 million euros. The tunnel will have three lanes in each direction, distributed over two spans, and those next to the median will be designed as bus-VAO lanes with variable signage.

The City Council expects the work to reduce the number of vehicles circulating on the surface by 90%. On top of the tunnel, the boulevard of Avenida de Portugal will be extended to Avenida del Padre Piquer, along a route of 3.2 kilometers called the Southwest Green Walk. This section sees 80,000 vehicles daily, and the motorway has separated the neighborhoods of Lucero, Aluche, and Las Águilas from Campamento and Casa de Campo since 1968.

The project also includes a bidirectional signalized bike lane of 3.5 kilometers, starting from Calle Illescas, and increases the pedestrian connections on the surface from 16 to 33. The development of the walkway is pending awarding by the City Council. The offer from the temporary union formed by Sarrión, Cyopsa, and Becsa amounts to 56.57 million euros (46.76 million excluding VAT), a reduction of 24.55% on the base budget of 75 million euros.