Another summer of works in Madrid: a practical guide to moving around these months in the city

The city of Madrid advances in its particular summer between works and improvements in its streets and in the public transport network. For weeks, the country's capital has undergone a transformation that is requiring some adjustments for citizens who need to travel. If you are in Madrid, pay attention to this guide that El Confidencial has prepared so that you can plan your routes without problems. Although this section will remain closed until the end of October, the rest of the underground service will not be affected. To help users, there is a special free bus service that covers the disabled section. As of this Saturday, works will also begin on Metro Line 9 —in the section between the Colombia and Príncipe de Vergara stations—. The objective is to remodel the roofs and waterproofing systems, among other improvements.

🔉🚇 REMEMBER: tomorrow, Saturday August 5, modernization works begin on L9 between Colombia and Príncipe de Vergara.
🚍 A substitute bus service will be launched.
ℹ All the info: https://t.co/XsCriB1vym#ObrasL9 #TrabajamosParaTi pic.twitter.com/56MAPRi9HY

– Madrid Metro (@metro_madrid) August 4, 2023

closed streets

The little ones also have their space to enjoy in the city. During weekends and holidays, several streets are closed to traffic. Fuencarral, between Quevedo and Bilbao; Camoens promenade and Ruperto Chapí promenade; Paseo del Prado, between Plaza de Carlos V and Plaza de Cibeles. Also Arcentales avenue, between Miguel Yuste and Ajofrín; the Gran Vía del Este, between Aurora Boreal and Avenida de las Comunidades; Francisco Largo Caballero, between Hermanos García Noblejas and Avenida de Daroca, west, and Arturo Soria, between Josefa Valcárcel and Alcalá. It allows children up to 12 years old to ride a bicycle, scooter or skates accompanied by an adult on foot, argues the Consistory.

Madrid renews itself, and that also includes its tunnels and highways. Over the next few months, several improvement and rehabilitation works will be carried out in different parts of the city. This is the case of the Francisco Silvela tunnel, under Avenida de América. It will remain closed to traffic from August 1 to 31 due to accessibility works at the Avenida de América Metro station.

Until the first half of September, the tunnel under the Plaza de Manuel Becerra will also be closed to traffic due to repair and conditioning works. Traffic cuts will continue in various areas and sectors of the M-30 while the agglomerate works are carried out. On the Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza, there will continue to be interruptions due to work on the Canal de Isabel II until at least mid-September, according to the Consistory.

Works in the Puerta del Sol

The Madrid City Council plans to complete at the end of August those actions that required authorization from Metro de Madrid for affecting its structures (ventilation grilles and slabs in poor condition) at Puerta del Sol. The access to the Adif station and the elevator of this station still need to have the pending authorizations of this body to be conditioned.

They will finish in autumn

Some of the works will finish in autumn. For example, the second phase of the ring road around the historic center of Barajas along Calle Ayerbe is scheduled to end after the summer months.. The Consistory indicates that there are still auctions in the planting of the new park and children's games, which have to come from Germany. It represents a municipal investment of five million euros, added to the 1.5 million of the first phase, which will allow the mobility of the area, freeing the interior streets of the town from passing traffic, in order to expand the pedestrian areas and the accessibility around the Plaza Mayor.

At the same time, the works of the Plaza de Pontejos and its surroundings will also be completed. Like the performances in the Plaza de Mostenses. The surrounding streets are already finished and now, according to municipal sources, they will focus on the square itself. The project for the Plaza de la Emperatriz, in Carabanchel, has delayed its deadlines and will not finish until autumn. According to the Department of Works and Equipment of the Consistory, it has a budget of 3.3 million euros.

Cercanías accumulates delays

The Madrid Cercanías Service has been accumulating several delays in its journeys. If you visit the capital, you should know that, during this year, there have been 341 incidents, 41% more than in 2022, according to data from the Community of Madrid, which, however, is not the owner of this service, in the hands of the Ministry of Transport. On Thursday afternoon, the company reported long delays due to an incident at the Adif Centralized Traffic Center.

Cercanías also reported that the usual service of lines C1, C2, C3, C3a, C4A, C4B, C5, C7, C8, C9 and C10 was modified last Friday due to improvement works at the Chamartín station..

Works that will end in 2024

Madrid City Council plans to finish two new projects next year. The first, on Avenida de la Ilustración, on its southern flank. The reform began after that of the northern flank and will conclude in the spring of 2024. Work will begin this month in the center of the Plaza de Olavide, and the Consistory plans to finish the work in the summer of next year.

We will have to wait a little longer to see the completion of the passage under the railway tracks in the Pozo del Tío Raimundo. The works for the construction of this vehicle crossing and the transformation of the current crossing into an accessible pedestrian and cyclist access, is in the process of execution and will end, reports the works area, between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.