{"id":7115,"date":"2026-08-05T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/?p=7115"},"modified":"2026-08-05T07:17:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T12:17:53","slug":"madrids-newly-bored-castellana-tunnel-will-use-ai-to-catch-every-driver-who-breaks-the-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/madrids-newly-bored-castellana-tunnel-will-use-ai-to-catch-every-driver-who-breaks-the-rules\/7115\/","title":{"rendered":"Madrid’s newly bored Castellana tunnel will use AI to catch every driver who breaks the rules"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Madrid has completed the main excavation of a 0.42-mile road tunnel beneath the northern end of Paseo de la Castellana, one of the Spanish capital\u2019s busiest and most recognizable corridors. The city plans to open the underground roadway in December 2026, even as landscaping and public-space work continues above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is more than a traffic story. The tunnel will use AI-assisted safety and pollution controls, while the reclaimed surface is being turned into a park with trees, bike access, solar power, and places where people can sit instead of watching six lanes of traffic pass by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The breakthrough is complete<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The key moment came when the two excavation fronts finally met, marking the end of the main dig roughly one year after construction began. Crews reached that milestone during punishing summer heat above 104\u00b0F, while work continued both underground and on the future park at street level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also Read: Twenty Dutch wind turbines were forced to stop after a sea eagle turned up dead beneath one<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The 2,215-foot tunnel will carry three lanes in each direction and connect the Castellana corridor directly with Madrid\u2019s northern highway junction. Mayor Jos\u00e9 Luis Mart\u00ednez-Almeida<\/a> said the work remains \u201con schedule\u201d so drivers can begin using it in December while crews continue building the park overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI will watch the road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tunnel is expected to be the most technologically advanced road tunnel yet built by Madrid\u2019s municipal government. Municipal public works sources say its systems will use AI to spot incidents, identify vehicles, monitor speeds, measure pollutants, and automatically adjust ventilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Construction
Madrid finishes excavation on its advanced Castellana road tunnel, featuring AI monitoring systems and an expansive new surface park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tunnel can respond to changing conditions<\/a> instead of treating every hour like rush hour. A stalled car, rising pollution reading, or sudden traffic slowdown could trigger a faster response, although the real test will come after opening when operating data shows how well the system performs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traffic moves below ground<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What changes for someone walking past Madrid\u2019s five towers? Quite a lot. Once the tunnel is operating, regular through traffic will move below the surface<\/a>, while public transportation and local access traffic remain above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That creates room for about 17 acres of connected public space, including nearly 5 acres of new green areas. Plans call for 772 new trees and more than 38,800 shrubs, taking the total number of trees in the area above 1,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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