Mayrit TBM has connected the excavation fronts between the future Comillas and Madrid Madrid Metro Line 11 Río stations, completing a key tunnel link.
“Cale” breakthrough links the Comillas and Madrid Metro Line 11 Río tunnel drives beneath the M-30 and the River Manzanares. Credit: luciezr/Shutterstock.com.
The Community of Madrid has earmarked €104m ($118.6m) for a contract to install equipment required for the operation of the new tunnels and stations being built for the first phase of the Metro Line 11 extension.
The regional administration said the Governing Council received an update on the proposed award from the Regional Ministry of Housing, Transport and Infrastructure.
According to the Community of Madrid, the contract is priced 15% below the base tender amount of €123m. The package is separate from the main underground civil engineering works and includes electrical and safety installations in the tunneled section, notably overhead catenary systems and a comprehensive fire protection system.
It also covers vertical transportation and passenger circulation systems at the stations, including 29 lifts and 60 escalators, along with other ancillary works.
The systems contract supports construction of the Plaza Elíptica–Conde de Casal section, which the government said will be 6.7km long. It reported that overall works on this first section have exceeded 45% completion and remain scheduled for commissioning in 2027.
Progress at individual station boxes varies, with Comillas at around 60% and Madrid Río at around 58%, while works continue at interchange locations including Atocha, Palos de la Frontera and Conde de Casal.
On the tunnelling programme, a connection has been made between two excavation fronts on the alignment between Comillas and Madrid Río after the Mayrit tunnel-boring machine (TBM) arrived at the interface.
The Community of Madrid said the breakthrough, known technically as “cale”, completed the tunnel link between the two points and involved passing beneath the M-30 and under the River Manzanares to connect both riverbanks. It said the event marked one of the most significant milestones since construction began and coincided with what it described as the halfway point of the project.
The government reported that since work began on 26 March, Mayrit has excavated 1,116m, which it said represents 21% of the planned route, and has installed 656 rings forming the tunnel’s permanent lining. It added that the machine advances at an average of 15m a day and has occasionally reached 30m a day.
In a separate update, ACCIONA said that, in a joint venture with Dragados and Rover, it has completed excavation of the Comillas–Madrid Río section. It stated that the tunnel-boring machine reached the future Madrid Río station after excavating 1,114m in 75 days at an average rate of 15m per day, passing beneath the area around the Manzanares River and the M-30 ring road.
The regional government said the Line 11 extension is intended to create a diagonal Metro route, improving links between neighbourhoods and new urban developments, reducing trip times and cutting down on changes.
It added that the project is expected to help relieve congestion on Line 6, particularly between Plaza Elíptica and Avenida de América. Works on the wider project began in November 2022 and are scheduled for completion in 2027.
