Workers must remove about 7,000 cubic metres of earth to close the 172-metre gap between the new A-5 tunnel and the existing M-30 tunnel. The job also involves demolishing the existing ramp and installing the remaining 128 roof beams, each approximately 30 metres long.
Madrid City Council says the connection is set to open to traffic on 23 December 2026, after the A-5-M-30 link closes in both directions for 43 days from 10 November. Madrid’s mobility delegate, Borja Carabante, presented the special mobility plan on 4 November and repeated the opening date previously announced by Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida. The new tunnel is expected to carry 90% of the 80,000 vehicles that used the A-5 surface route each day.
The 43-day closure will divert traffic mainly onto surface routes. The works area will retain two lanes in each direction, but direct movements between the A-5 and M-30 will be unavailable. New traffic-light-controlled junctions will operate around Yébenes, Batán, Villagarcía and Huerta de Castañeda. For longer journeys, the Council recommends the M-40 and names the A-42, A-6, M-45 and M-50 as alternative corridors; other options include the M-500, M-503, Vía Lusitana and R-5. The Council advises drivers to avoid the area where possible and plan journeys in advance.
Completing the connection means fitting 142 prefabricated beams in total. Fourteen went in during work in the summer; crews are due to mount the remaining 128 during the closure. The beams rest on the tunnel’s side walls. Crews will seal about 4,200 metres of joints and pour around 1,000 cubic metres of concrete for the roof slab. They will also install 470 lights and fit about 1,400 square metres of wall panels.
Madrid’s transport operator EMT will increase services on lines 31, 36, 39, 138 and 158 on working days from 10 to 26 November, boosting fleet levels by up to 15.4%. From 27 November to 23 December, the increase will reach 25% on working days and at weekends. Line 33 will also get extra service at weekends. The SE2 shuttle between Plaza Elíptica, Aluche and Cuatro Vientos will continue, as will the free SE3 circular service between Batán and Lucero.
Metro will keep all available trains running on lines 10 and 3. Extra trains could be added on line 10 from Puerta del Sur, depending on demand; loop services may also run where needed. Interurban buses serving Móstoles, Alcorcón and Navalcarnero may receive extra service.
Rail capacity faces a separate constraint. ADIF works due to start on 11 November between Villaverde Alto and Atocha will end C-5 train services on the Atocha-Humanes branch at Villaverde Alto. That is a different branch from the Móstoles-Embajadores corridor. An additional train on the latter still needs confirmation from Renfe Cercanías.
Drivers travelling between the A-5 and M-30 will need to take alternative routes. The Casa de Campo exit from the M-30 will close, as will the route from the A-5 towards the M-30 on the Madrid-bound side. The Council recommends public transport and directs local traffic to routes including Paseo de Extremadura and the Yébenes link. The tunnel is part of the wider A-5 burial project, which is linked to plans for the future Paseo Verde del Suroeste. A separate Barcelona tram project has also entered its tender phase.
