Please sign in to post.

Is Puerta Del Sol still under construction?

I haven't been able to find the current status of Madrid's Puerta Del Sol street/metro/plaza construction online. The only news stories I can find say that construction was set to begin February 2022, but I found no updates as to whether it is complete or ongoing. I did find a picture of Madrid's Bear and Tree statue cordoned off. I would be sad if I couldn't touch the bear. I'll be in Madrid in early September 2022.
Are there any ex-pats living in Madrid who might know the status, or has anyone visited Madrid recently? Thanks.

Posted by
2267 posts

I was there two weeks ago and it was still under construction and mostly blocked off, save for a north-south passageway. I was there when the barriers went up in March- behind schedule already, I suppose.

You don’t mention when you’ll be there, but I’d be very surprised if it were done before Octoberish.

Posted by
5188 posts

Marti,

According to this article, the construction/remodeling/ restoration that began in March of this year, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
6386 posts

The webcam shows it is still under construction. Looks worse than when I was there in June. All the Marios, Mickey and Minnie mouse, and other characters have moved over to the Plaza Mayor. No idea where the mariachi band is playing while the Plaza is being worked on. I enjoyed listening to it. I also wonder where the protesters go now that they can’t use the Plaza. If June you could still get to the Oso y Madroño statue but the time lapse webcam shows it is now blocked off and you can’t get to it.

Posted by
325 posts

I was there less than a week ago. It's still blocked off, including the bear statue and the 0 km marker. The perimeter is open and there are a few narrow walkways open to cross the plaza, but almost all of it is blocked off.

Posted by
99 posts

Thanks for responding to my question about the status in Sol. I will temper my expectations accordingly. :-(

Posted by
1 posts

Still in the throes of construction on October 3rd, 2022. They started today early, and they are still going at 6:30pm. They do seem to be making progress on laying the pavers.

Posted by
5 posts

Has anyone stayed in the Hotel Europa recently and how is the construction noise/nuisance?

Posted by
104 posts

I was there yesterday. Construction is massive and loud (duh 😀). We had originally planned to stay in Sol area but now are staying near the Atocha metro station. This works for us because the museums, a focal point for us, are nearby. We are also doing several day trips, so being so close to Atocha is convenient. Long story short, I would not want to stay near the construction.

Posted by
41 posts

Staying at Europa now— in 2 years the balcony view will be nice, not so now. Sunday has been quiet but assume jackhammering will continue on Monday. Very crowded as everyone having to walk side corridors

Posted by
31 posts

I have a night booked a Hotel Europa myself in about a week. It sounds as though I should cancel and look elsewhere?

Posted by
2291 posts

gacllc1997, can you please share which hotel you're staying at? I was planning to stay at Europa for my trip early next year but reconsidering now.

Posted by
104 posts

We are staying at Only You Atocha. We have been here a week. Leave tomorrow. Quiet, clean and roomy. Only downside: we can hear people talking in room next door, but it's not been too bad (guess it would depend on who's next door). I will say it's the most expensive place we've stayed during our 1.5 month stay in Spain.

Posted by
129 posts

Is the Sol metro station still accessible? Our airbnb is a few blocks from there and I was assuming that would be the station we use most often.

Posted by
99 posts

Yes, Sol station is accessible; it's just a mess though. Our hotel was close enough for us to use Sol, but I opted to: (1) take a taxi upon arrival, so that my husband wouldn't be confronted by the construction for his first glimpse of Madrid, and (2) whenever possible, we used another station if given a choice. In our case, Opera was essentially the same distance from our hotel. The deciding factor of course, was which Metro line was the most direct to our destination. Sometimes, we opted to walk to Sol. Have a great trip!