News
The A-5 closure towards Badajoz will force route changes in August
The outbound A-5 tunnel towards Badajoz will remain closed from 3 to 24 August. The closure will allow the new Paseo Verde del Suroeste underground section to be connected with the M-30 and will require thousands of drivers to change their usual access routes for three weeks.
The main disruption will occur at the Casa de Campo interchange. It will not be possible to access the outbound A-5 from the M-30, nor from the inner carriageway, so alternative routes will have to be used before reaching this point.
The first phase of the work will consist of demolishing the concrete slab on the ramp of the current tunnel. This structure has made it possible to maintain temporary diversions during the works, but it must be removed to complete the connection with the new gallery.
The final structure will then be built, the fill will be reinstated and the temporary diversion restored. Between 10 and 13 August, fourteen beams of around thirty metres will also be installed, an operation that will take place at night using heavy machinery.
For long journeys, the City Council recommends using the A-42 or Vía Lusitana to link up with the M-40. Another possibility will be to travel along General Ricardos to Avenida de los Poblados or, from the north of the M-30, connect to the A-6 and then reach the A-5 via Cuatro Vientos.
Local journeys can be made via Paseo del Marqués de Monistrol, Paseo de Extremadura or Avenida de Portugal. There will also be alternatives via Saavedra Fajardo, Pablo Casals, Sepúlveda, San Isidro bridge and Vía Carpetana.
The closure has been concentrated in August to take advantage of the usual reduction in traffic, although the alternative routes may see heavier traffic and congestion. Those crossing the western area should allow extra time and check their route before setting off.
The civil engineering work on the new tunnel is planned for September, after which the landscaping of the Paseo Verde del Suroeste will begin. The future corridor will be 3.2 kilometres long and will connect Madrid Río, Casa de Campo and Cuña Verde de Latina.
The opening of the underground route will change mobility in neighbourhoods such as Lucero, Aluche, Las Águilas and Campamento. Until then, the August closure will be one of the most delicate moments of works that seek to remove much of the traffic from the surface of the A-5.