Madrid A-5 tunnel scheduled to open on December 23

The underground section of the A-5 highway in Madrid is set to open to traffic on December 23, following two years of construction. Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida confirmed the date for the new tunnel located at Paseo de Extremadura.

The project involves burying approximately three kilometers of the A-5 between Avenida del Padre Piquer and the connection with Avenida de Portugal and the M-30. The new infrastructure will feature three lanes in each direction, including dedicated lanes for buses and high-occupancy vehicles (BUS-VAO). This move aims to reduce surface traffic, improve environmental quality, and reclaim urban space.

While the tunnel will allow vehicle circulation by the end of the year, surface works will continue. The transformation of the former highway surface into the Paseo Verde del Suroeste is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2028. This urban project, budgeted at 56.57 million euros, will create a 3.2-kilometer pedestrian corridor to connect neighborhoods in the Latina district.