Proyecto de Almeida para soterrar la A-5 y construir el Paseo Verde del Suroeste.
Almeida, Carabante and González Díaz in their visit today to the works
Today marks the countdown for Paseo de Extremadura to transform into a large pedestrian boulevard that connects the neighborhoods of the Latina district from Lucero, Aluche and Las Águilas to Campamento and Casa de Campo (the latter belonging to Moncloa-Aravaca district), separated since 1968 by the asphalt that 80,000 vehicles cross daily. The works to bridge the gap and bring the new Southwest Green Promenade to life have begun this Friday.
A few steps from the A-5, from the balcony of the El Greco sociocultural center that offers views of the highway, the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has contemplated the panorama and its future projection with the model that has been on display in the district municipal office since last July for neighbors to see the final result.
Accompanied by the Delegate for Urbanism, Environment and Mobility, Borja Carabante, the area responsible for the execution of this major work of the term, and the councilor of Latina, Alberto González, the mayor has informed about the details of this work «long awaited by the residents of Latina, which represents the fulfillment of a commitment of this Government team» and which will allow «improving mobility and sustainability policies within the city, streamlining public transportation and being better connected within the metropolitan area.»
Covering the A-5 will allow the pedestrianized boulevard of Avenida de Portugal to continue, connecting to Madrid Río, up to Avenida del Padre Piquer: an underground section that will cover 3.2 kilometers. Surface vehicles will be reduced by 90% as well as polluting emissions. In addition to reclaiming the space occupied by asphalt for residents, pedestrian mobility in public transportation and roads will be improved, resulting in improved road safety in the area. It will solve the traffic congestion problems in conflictive connections such as Paseo de Extremadura, Batán, and Boadilla.
‘Soft’ mobility will be promoted thanks to the construction of a 3.5-kilometer two-way signalized bike lane, starting on Calle Illescas and connecting to the existing one on Avenida de Portugal, linking with Madrid Río. In this way, the use of this means of transportation to access the city center will be enhanced. On the surface, there will be wider sidewalks and 33 new pedestrian connections compared to the current 16, favoring pedestrian traffic.
The mayor has recalled that the City Council is «working very hard to minimize all the affects and inconveniences that may occur in terms of mobility, starting from the base that, being a necessary and essential work, it is necessary to have the patience of those affected.»
Excavation for the tunnel
The new tunnel will be executed with excavation. It will have a distribution of three lanes per direction in two spans. The lanes closest to the median on both roadways are designed for use as bus-VAO lanes, equipped with variable signage that will regulate their use according to traffic needs at any given time. The flexibility of this system will allow the optimization of the infrastructure, adapting to transport demand variably.
A boulevard with 7,258 trees
The execution project of the Southwest Green Promenade will allow the creation of new green areas for the residents of this area on the surface of 80,000 square meters created on the new underground A-5 tunnel. The main challenge in this area is to achieve a large volume of green spaces to modify the environmental conditions of Paseo de Extremadura.
The gardening project aims to reach a tree coverage close to 80% and maximize the surface area of flowerbeds in cohabitation with mobility and planned uses. The Green Promenade will have more than 7,200 trees: 6,956 coniferous specimens will be planted and 330 specimens will be transplanted (308 leafy and 22 coniferous).
Seven nodes or new centralities
The area will have enormous permeability for pedestrians between both margins of the current highway and the connection between Casa de Campo, Cuña Verde de Latina and the Puerta del Angel and Madrid Río area, generating seven activity condensing nodes along the entire route.
The surface work will create seven nodes or new centralities in Latina.
- Parque de Atracciones Link. With the reform, the strong existing slopes in such a concentrated space will be resolved and will invite pedestrian connection from the south to Casa de Campo. The Green Promenade will be integrated into the urban fabric with Avenida de Portugal, the road over the tunnel of Avenida de Portugal, and the southern access to Casa de Campo. The improvement of the environment for residents located in the south of the A-5 will be very significant in terms of visual, sound, and urban space regeneration. Green areas will be extended, creating a continuous reading between the Green Promenade and Casa de Campo in the northern part of the intervention. To the south, the first large square is defined, marked by its proximity and interaction of uses with the Colegio Divino Maestro and commercial facades. It will have as an identifying element a large dry fountain (like the Madrid Río beach) that will guarantee thermal comfort in summer and will also have a playful use, reinforcing the integration of this public space with the surrounding facilities.
- El Greco. A strong interaction will be established between the El Greco Cultural Center, the El Olivillo Municipal Sports Center, and the Green Promenade through two elements: first, integrated steps and ramps in the green area with a versatile design and secondly, a green pergola on the surface that will multiply shade and enhance an area that can host local markets or socio-cultural and sports events. The implementation of a possible kiosk has also been considered as a scenario, within the compatible uses for this area. In a balcony situation, where the southern slope is used as a large green strip, the Greco Node is proposed as the epicenter of high-intensity, flexible, dynamic, and inclusive activities.
- Batán Link. A large pergola will be installed that will constitute a new identity space for the environment and define the Batán Grand Plaza. This node also seeks to generate a symbiosis with nearby facilities and public spaces, so the connection, flow, and comfort of transversal pedestrian circulation play a crucial role. It will function as the central node for the connection between Metro Batán and Puerta Casa de Campo until reaching the center of the Lucero neighborhood. The subtle slope between the central axis of the Green Promenade and the connection with Cebreros street will be used to generate a dynamic garden on walkable terraced through a system of ramps and intermediate platforms. The proposed trees in this area aim to be a reference in the environment, significantly modifying the landscape for residents. To the north, the duplicated road of the segment parallel to the current A-5 on Serafín de Asís street will be eliminated. This will improve the connection of the Santiago de Masarnau Social Reception and Integration Center with the Franciscanos square, which will have an internal axis of interest for pedestrian connection with the new Green Promenade.
- Lourdes. This point is linked to major educational and sports facilities in the area. Children’s play areas will be installed, connected to the Green Promenade and the Sanchorreja Basic Sports Facility, located south of the A-5. The future strategic pedestrian crossings underline the importance of transversal pedestrian connection between the Green Promenade and the area linked to the Lourdes School, in the northern part of the Lucero neighborhood. As a singular element in this section, the trees will play a key role in enhancing the visual impact of continuous facades along the promenade and generating a change in the landscape that serves as an identifying element for both nearby residents and citizens of Madrid passing through the promenade.
- Yébenes–Cuña Verde Link. It will heal one of the most obvious fractures and discontinuities in the project area, recovering the city’s level and the surrounding buildings and relocating the two-way road to the surface. It aims to bring the Cuña Verde park (south) and Casa de Campo (north) closer, completing a key piece at the boundary of the Green Wedge with the new promenade. The public space will be configured as a soft square covered by pergolas. The Yébenes axis will lead pedestrians to Metro Casa de Campo and one of the main entrances to the park.
- Casa de Campo–Boadilla. A park will be built that surrounds and hides the electrical substation (located southeast of the A-5) and a viewpoint towards Casa de Campo. This new park will become a hub with various uses: an urban amphitheater nestled in the topography with green terraced stands integrated into the landscape, a new skatepark, topographic children’s play areas, ping pong areas, and picnic tables. The section of the green ring bike lane will be doubled, now with an option for access and connection to the internal section of Casa de Campo. A new viewpoint kiosk will be installed at the highest point of the existing mound that opens to the west of the Green Promenade.
- Padre Piquer. The project aims to improve the functioning of the interchange that de facto occurs at this intersection, where intercity bus travelers connect with Metro Line 5. Wide circulation and relaxation areas will be established, shaded by pergolas or trees that visually serve as a reference for users and connect the south and north of the Green Promenade. The existing park on the south side, in front of the Ángel González Public Library, is planned to be remodeled to integrate this reference facility for the neighborhood into the Green Promenade. A new open square will be created in the section of the library facade towards the promenade, consisting of an identifying fountain and relaxation areas shaded by trees.
Energy efficiency to offset tunnel consumption
The Southwest Green Promenade will incorporate energy generation systems with renewable sources. The goal is to seek the overall energy sustainability of the infrastructure and optimize its resources to achieve a zero energy balance in the operational phase. In this sense, the project includes the installation of geothermal and photovoltaic energy infrastructures that will allow offsetting and even exceeding all the consumption of the underground tunnel where the soterrado A-5 will run.
Firstly, the fact that the tunnel foundation is executed through a solution of deep screens will be exploited, activated with the installation of geothermal probes anchored to its reinforcement to take advantage of this type of energy. This system will allow heating public buildings near the tunnel area such as the Integrated Vocational Training Center Escuela de la Vid, Monte Hermoso Senior Residence, El Greco Cultural Center, El Olivillo Municipal Sports Center, and the Ángel González Library.
Additionally, a photovoltaic installation will be implemented for clean energy generation on the surface once the undergrounding is completed. The goal is to achieve an average annual energy generation that helps balance the tunnel’s consumption and, at the same time, generate shaded spaces integrated throughout the Green Promenade. The most feasible solution involves executing photovoltaic installations on pergolas. These structures are commonly used for this purpose in urban environments where space availability is limited. In total, eight sets of pergolas are projected (three with a unique design at the Padre Piquer, Batán, and El Greco nodes and five modular ones) distributed along the urbanization.
Division of the work into lots to minimize the execution period
The Southwest Green Promenade project has been divided into three lots for bidding and construction in order to minimize the overall execution period.
- Lot 1 (175,906,354 euros). From Padre Piquer to Batán. It includes civil works, installations, and surface roadways. It includes a new roundabout located on Avenida de los Poblados, south of the A-5. This roundabout is necessary to redistribute mobility in the area.
- Lot 2 (171,477,900 euros). From Batán to Avenida de Portugal. It includes civil works, surface roadways, and necessary installations such as connections to the existing tunnel of Avenida de Portugal. This lot also includes the communications and telematic connections of the new tunnel with the rest of the Calle 30 management network.
The budget for these two lots is 347,384,255 euros. An additional 57.8 million euros will be added to carry out the urbanization on the surface over the A-5 tunnel (lot 3).
The Madrid City Council has designed a mobility plan to affect users as little as possible when the diversions begin due to the works, which can be consulted at this link.