The Delegate for Public Works and Infrastructure, Paloma García Romero, visited the construction site along with the Salamanca City Councillor, Cayetana Hernández de la Riva.
Alcalá Street will reopen its two lanes (one in each direction) tomorrow, Monday, after being closed since mid-July.
The new pedestrian median will offer a better view of the Puerta de Alcalá, one of the main heritage features of the Landscape of Light.
The street’s original double row of trees, which disappeared in the late 1960s when the road was widened, will be restored.
The north sidewalk, which carries the most pedestrian traffic, is being significantly widened.
The project has received approval from UNESCO, the Local Commission for Historical Heritage, and the Civic and Social Council of the Landscape of Light.
The Delegate for Public Works and Infrastructure, Paloma García Romero, accompanied by the Councillor for Salamanca, Cayetana Hernández de la Riva, visited the renovation works on Alcalá Street this morning, between Cibeles Square and Independence Square. This urban transformation project will create a new central promenade, offering Madrid residents and visitors a better view of the Puerta de Alcalá, one of the main heritage elements of the Landscape of Light.
García Romero confirmed that starting tomorrow, Monday, the two lanes (one in each direction) that have been closed since mid-July will be reopened. This means that Alcalá Street in this section will have three lanes in each direction (two for general traffic and one for public transport), the same configuration that will remain once the works are completed. Meanwhile, in Plaza de la Independencia, several lanes will remain closed. In the area leading to Retiro Park, there will be four lanes (three for general traffic and one for public transport), and in the rest of the plaza, there will be five lanes (four for general traffic and one for public transport).
The delegate highlighted the smooth progress of the works, which were planned so that the bulk of the construction would take place during July and August to minimize disruption during the summer holidays. The works began last February and will continue until the first quarter of 2027. However, the portion of the work affecting Calle de Alcalá and the central area of the plaza where the Puerta de Alcalá is located will be completed before the end of the year, allowing pedestrians to walk under the arches of the monument.
The renovation aims to restore the street’s historical layout and enhance the Puerta de Alcalá. The project, which represents an investment of €6.1 million, has received approval from UNESCO, the Local Commission for Historical Heritage, and the Civic and Social Council of the Landscape of Light.
Alcalá Street
The project envisions a section with two lanes plus a bus lane in each direction, a 3.8-meter-wide central promenade, and a segregated bike lane on the south side. The space gained by reducing the current lanes will allow for a substantial widening of the north sidewalk, which bears the greatest pedestrian traffic on the street, and the restoration of the historic double row of trees with the planting of 57 new large trees, one of the essential features of this thoroughfare that had been lost. Additionally, strips of shrubbery will be planted along both sidewalks and the central promenade.
The project includes the complete renovation of the pavement, which will consist of granite slabs and cobblestones, and the resurfacing of the roadway. Likewise, the public lighting will be replaced with a lamppost model appropriate to the heritage setting, based on the historical design used on Calle de Alcalá, but with high-energy-efficiency LED technology. This will be accompanied by the renovation and expansion of street furniture and the reorganization of the areas designated for outdoor seating areas.
Plaza de la Independencia
The renovation will visually and functionally integrate the Puerta de Alcalá, reducing its character as an isolated monument in a roundabout and bringing it closer to the public. In this regard, the garden will be remodeled to recover one of the layouts from the late 19th century, allowing for pedestrian permeability that connects Calle de Alcalá with the triangular area currently used as a contemplative space. To achieve this, a new pedestrian crossing will be created on the west side of the plaza, in addition to improving the existing crossing on the east. Furthermore, a study of the monument’s lighting will be carried out, modifying the location of the light fixtures and upgrading the projectors.
The project will retain most of the existing paving of the plaza’s sidewalks, completed in 2009, while improving accessibility with new pathways to pedestrian crossings and public transport stops to comply with universal accessibility regulations. Additionally, one lane will be removed to create a segregated bike lane connecting the one on Alcalá Street with the one on Serrano Street, also providing access to Retiro Park. The work on the plaza will be completed with the renewal and expansion of street furniture, the resurfacing of the entire plaza roadway, and the redistribution of public transport, increasing the number of stops and creating islands for the placement of bus shelters.
