Autopista de Circunvalación M-30

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The factual accuracy of this article or section may be compromised due to out-of-date information. You can improve the article by updating it. There may be information on the talk page.

There is also an M30 motorway in Hungary

The M-30 ring road circles the central districts of Madrid, the capital city of Spain. It is the innermost ring highway of the Spanish city. Outer rings are named M-40, M-45 and M-50.

It has, at least, three lanes in each way, supplemented in some parts by two or three lane auxiliary roads. It connects to the main Spanish radial national roads that start in Madrid.

The M30 is the busiest Spanish road, famous for its traffic jams, and surrounded by several landmarks such as Torrespaña (the tallest structure in Madrid), the national headquarters of IBM, the mosque of the M30, and passes under the Vicente Calderón Stadium.

Its construction started in the 1960s and required the underground canalization of the Abroñigal river, required to avoid flooding since the road runs through the lowest part of the city. In the 1970s the most important section was open between the junction of Manoteras (cross with the A-1, M-11 and accesses to Sanchinarro) and the Nudo Sur (South Junction), that connects to the Avenida de Andalucia (previously N-IV) and A-4.

In the 1990s the ring was closed with the construction of the section between Avenida de la Ilustración (the only section of the road with traffic lights) and the junction of Puerta de Hierro (accession to Cardenal Herrera Oria street, M40, and El Pardo road).

From 2005 to 2008 major upgrading works were made, and now a big portion of the southern part runs underground. They are the longest urban tunnels in Europe, with sections of more than 6km long and 5 lanes in each way.