Diario de Madrid
The project, to be delivered by the Public Works and Facilities Department, represents an investment of €13.1 million.
Construction works, covering the section between Avenida de las Suertes and the roundabout adjacent to the A-3 motorway, will begin in September and continue until spring 2028.
The entire avenue will be redeveloped, transforming a currently unused central dirt strip into a major pedestrian boulevard featuring areas for leisure, intergenerational activities, and walking.
The project includes the planting of 875 trees, the construction of cycle lanes, the installation of new street furniture, high-efficiency lighting, and an ornamental fountain, among other features.
The redesigned avenue will reserve one dedicated lane in each direction for the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which will connect the six urban developments in Madrid’s southeast.
This section of Ensanche de Vallecas will become the first example of a major 16-kilometre green corridor that will link all the southeastern urban developments.
The intervention forms part of the Southern Strategy (Estrategia del Sur), a broader programme that includes a range of initiatives aimed at turning Madrid’s nine southern districts into a driving force for the city’s urban, economic, and environmental transformation.
Madrid City Council has approved the project to transform Gran Vía del Sureste in Ensanche de Vallecas, within the district of Villa de Vallecas. The project will cover the section of the avenue between Avenida de las Suertes and the roundabout located next to the A-3 motorway.
The announcement was made by Deputy Mayor and Municipal Spokesperson Inma Sanz following the weekly meeting of the City Government Board. The project, which will be delivered by the Public Works and Facilities Department, represents an investment of €13.1 million.
Construction works are scheduled to begin in September and are expected to continue until spring 2028.
The project, which responds to a long-standing demand from local residents, will not only urbanize a large unused vacant area but will also transform a roadway that is currently oversized and originally designed as a high-capacity traffic corridor into a more livable, accessible, and sustainable urban space.
To achieve this, priority will be given to public transport as well as pedestrian and cycling mobility. The project will also create shaded areas and recreational spaces while enhancing urban biodiversity. The intervention has been conceived as a major environmental corridor, turning the avenue from a dividing element into an urban connector.
Space Reserved for the Future BRT System, Cycle Lanes, and a Major Central Boulevard
The redevelopment will include a complete reconfiguration of the road layout to incorporate a dedicated lane in each direction for the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which will connect all of the southeastern urban developments.
In addition, the project will involve the refurbishment of the existing sidewalks, the reconfiguration of traffic lanes for general vehicular circulation, and the construction of new, segregated, and safe cycle lanes on both sides of the renewed urban avenue
The project will substantially upgrade and expand pedestrian spaces. In this regard, the intervention includes the construction of a major central boulevard covering more than 21,000 m² (37.6 metres wide and 560 metres long), featuring seating areas, children’s play areas, bio-healthy fitness zones, calisthenics facilities, and spaces for relaxation, leisure, and walking. In addition, an ornamental fountain of approximately 180 m² will be created, incorporating water features and integrated lighting. New street furniture and drinking water fountains will also be installed.
The cross-section of the redesigned Gran Vía del Sureste will consist, from west to east, of a sidewalk, cycle lane, on-street parking, local traffic lane, tree-lined median, two general traffic lanes, tree-lined median, two dedicated BRT lanes, the central boulevard, two general traffic lanes, tree-lined median, local traffic lane, on-street parking, cycle lane, and sidewalk.
The project will deliver a significant improvement in the area’s environmental quality through the planting of 875 new trees, the development of high-density and highly diverse landscaping, the implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), and the installation of high-efficiency LED lighting.
A Major Green Corridor Connecting Madrid’s Southeast
The redevelopment of this section of Gran Vía del Sureste in Ensanche de Vallecas will serve as the first example of a major green corridor approximately 16 kilometres long, linking all of Madrid’s southeastern urban developments: Valdecarros, Ensanche de Vallecas, Los Berrocales, Los Ahijones, El Cañaveral, and Los Cerros.
This infrastructure, which will integrate sustainable mobility, biodiversity, and high-quality public spaces, will become a strategic backbone for the area, comparable in scale and territorial significance to the role played by Paseo de la Castellana in central Madrid.
The project approved today forms part of the Southern Strategy (Estrategia del Sur), which encompasses a broad range of initiatives designed to transform the districts of Latina, Carabanchel, Usera, Villaverde, Puente de Vallecas, Villa de Vallecas, Moratalaz, Vicálvaro, and San Blas–Canillejas into a driving force for the city’s urban, economic, and environmental development.