The M-30 orbital motorway circles the central districts of Madrid, the capital city of Spain. It is the innermost ring road of the Spanish city, with a length of 32.5 km. Outer rings are named M-40, M-45 and M-50. Its length and the surface surrounded by the M-30 is comparable to the Boulevard Périphérique of Paris, the Grande Raccordo Anulare of Rome or the London Inner Ring Road.

The Madrid M-30 is a major orbital motorway around Madrid that varies in structure along its length: some stretches have up to three lanes in each direction, while others narrow, widen, or run in large underground sections rather than standard surface roadway. It links with Spain’s main radial highways (A-1 to A-6) that connect Madrid to other part of the country.

The M30 is widely considered the busiest road in Spain and is well known for chronic congestion. It runs near several prominent landmarks, including Torrespaña (one of the city’s most recognisable broadcast towers. Along the Manzaanares river, sections of the motorway were rebuilt underground during major redevelopment works, including the area beneath the former site of the Vicente Calderón Stadium, which has since been demolished.

History Its construction started in the 1960s and required the underground canalisation of the Abroñigal river, required to avoid flooding since the road runs through the lowest part of the city. In the 1970s the eastern section (Avenida de la Paz) 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 Andalucía (previously N-IV) and A-4.

The second and western section, the Avenida del Manzanares, follows the course of the Manzanares river from the northwestern Puerta de Hierro junction to the junction with the eastern section.

In the 1990s, the ring road was completed with the construction of the northern section, called Avenida de la Ilustración (the only section of the road with traffic lights) from the junction of Puerta de Hierro (accession to Cardenal Herrera Oria street, M40, and El Pardo road) to the junction of Manoteras with the A-1.

In 2003, the highway was transferred from the Government of Spain to the City Council of Madrid. Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón implemented a plan called "Calle 30" (Street 30), converting sections of the highway in the Manzanares course into tunnels, and building an urban park (Madrid Río) in the surface previously occupied by asphalt. From 2005 to 2008, major upgrading works took place, and now a significant portion of the southern part runs underground. They are the longest urban motorway tunnels in Europe, with sections of more than 6 km in length and 3 to 6 lanes in each direction, between the south entry of the Avenida de Portugal tunnel and the north exit of the M-30 south by-pass there are close to 10 km of continuous tunnels. The M30 tunnels run between a point roughly 700 meters north of the junction with A5 motorway and continue all the way up to the junction between M30 and A3 motorway. The total cost of the works was over 7 billion euro.El Mundo. Gallardón now has his great M-30 tunnel

Urban, economic, environmental and cultural significance

The M-30 surrounds the inner core (the central districts) of Madrid: Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, Salamanca, Chamartín, Tetuán, and Chamberí, as well as a small part of Moncloa-Aravaca. This core is home to one quarter of the population of Madrid (about 800,000 people) and is, in average, wealthier than the rest of the city.Expansión Madrid: Así se distribuye la renta por distritos (Spanish) Also, housing prices are higher inside the M-30. Popularly, the city Madrid is divided in dentro de la M-30 (inside the M-30) and fuera de la M-30 (outside the M-30).El Mundo. The gap to buy a house in Madrid. Inside or outside the M-30? The M-30 itself is touted by Madrileños and media as a barrier between the rich and the poor sections of the city.eldiario.es. The demolition of the Vallecas bridge. Desires and doubts towards the end of the barrier between the rich ward and the poor ward

Pay-per-use parking lots and parking meters in Madrid (usually called ORA in Spain, but SER in Madrid) only exist in the area within the M-30.Madrid City Council. Service of Regulated Parking Access by car to the inner core and the M-30 itself may be restricted in days of high air pollution.Madrid City Council. High pollution protocol

Multimedia Gallery

Exit list

The M-30 has the following exits:

#DestinationsNotesVia de Servicio - Centro Comercial, Sanchinarro, Las Tablas21Avenida Monforte de Lemos, Calle de Sinesio Delgado, Avenida de Burgos, Avenida de Pío XII – Estación de Chamartín3Calle de Serrano Galvache, Avenida de San LuisCounterclockwise exit and entrance4BPlaza CastillaCounterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance4ACalle de Arturo SoriaCounterclockwise exit and entrance2Calle de Costa Rica – Plaza de José María SolerSigned as exit 5 counterclockwise3Avenida de Ramón y Cajal – Palacio de Congresos de MadridSigned as exit 6 counterclockwise4AAvenida de América, Calle de SerranoSigned as exit 7 counterclockwise4BSigned as exit 7 counterclockwise5Parque de las AvenidasClockwise exit and entrance8Calle de la Salvador de Madariaga – TanatorioCounterclockwise exit and entrance6Calle de Alcalá – Plaza de CibelesNo counterclockwise exit7Avenida Marqués de Corbera, Calle de O'Donnell – Puerta de AlcaláClockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance8Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance910Calle de Estrella Polar, Calle de SirioClockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance11Plaza Conde de Casal – Parque del RetiroClockwise exit and counterclockwise entranceAvenida Ciudad de Barcelona, Avenida de la Albufera – Estación de AtochaClockwise exit and counterclockwise entranceTo A-4 / A-42 / Calle de Méndez Alvaro – Córdoba, ToledoGlorieta Pirámides, Glorieta Marqués de VadilloPaseo de la Ermita del SantoCounterclockwise exit and entrance17Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto, Calle de Segovia, Paseo de Extremadura – Casa de Campo18Calle de San Pol de MarClockwise exit and entranceCalle Santa FeClockwise exit and entrance20AAvenida Valladolid, Paseo del Pintor RosalesSigned as exit 20 counterclockwise20BSigned as exit 20 counterclockwiseC.P. Agronomos Facultades de Filologia y Estadistica23ANo clockwise exit23BSigned as exit 23 clockwise23Calle de Sinesio DelgadoNo counterclockwise exitCalle de Arroyofresno, Avenida Ventisquero de la CondesaClockwise exit and counterclockwise entranceClockwise exit and counterclockwise entranceNo clockwise exitCalle de Cantalejo, Avenida de Miraflores, Avenida Los Pinos, Calle del Dr. Ramón CastroviejoAvenida Ventisquero de la CondesaGap in freewayPaseo de la Castellana, Plaza Castilla – Hospital Universitario La PazCounterclockwise exit not accessible from other end of M-3031BV. Begona – FuencarralCounterclockwise exit and entrance

References