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Madrid recovers lanes on Alcalá and normalises the M-30 at Puente de Vallecas
Madrid will recover some normality this Monday at two points especially sensitive for traffic. Alcalá Street will once again have an additional lane in each direction between Cibeles and Plaza de la Independencia, while the M-30 will reopen all its lanes at Puente de Vallecas.
On Alcalá, the change will leave two general-traffic lanes and one lane reserved for buses in each direction. It will not be a temporary solution: that is the layout the street will retain when the refurbishment is completed, so drivers will already begin to travel with a configuration very similar to the final one.
The work between Cibeles and Puerta de Alcalá began at the start of 2026 and is transforming one of the most recognisable stretches of the city centre. The project includes a 3.8-metre central promenade, widened pavements, a segregated cycle lane on the south side and the planting of 57 trees.
For EMT, taxis and private traffic, regaining capacity just before September is especially relevant. The return from holidays usually increases traffic towards the city centre again, and the restrictions of recent months had forced journeys to be reorganised and vehicles to be concentrated into fewer lanes.
Plaza de la Independencia will, however, remain under construction. The City Council plans to maintain some occasional carriageway closures while work progresses around Puerta de Alcalá, although it says it will seek to reduce their impact on traffic.
The second relief will come in Puente de Vallecas. The M-30 will regain all its lanes on Monday after two in each direction were closed during the summer to carry out part of the bridge refurbishment. The work has included waterproofing, surfacing and expansion joints.
The works will not disappear completely. The gradual installation of new noise barriers and other actions linked to the Vallecas Abierto project will continue; the project seeks to transform the area around the bridge and improve the urban connection between Puente de Vallecas and Retiro.
Monday will therefore bring two very visible changes to Madrid’s mobility map. Alcalá will remain surrounded by works and Vallecas will keep machinery beside the M-30, but both points will regain the capacity needed to face one of the weeks when Madrid fills up again after the August break.