Avenida Donostiarra y Puente Calero

Characteristic blocks of flats beside the footbridge over the M-30 ring road.

Puente Calero is located on the M-30 ring road. Rehabilitated in 2016, the bridge connects to the east with the Parque Calero blocks of flats which are known as “The Bee Hives”. This residential complex of 8000 flats was so baptised because of the way it is laid out in the form of panels. The central axis of this area of flats is Avenida Donostiarra.

This housing development consists of ten large, compact blocks of flats that were originally built in the 1950s to facilitate the rehousing of people with modest income who lived at that time in shantytowns in what would become the northern extension of La Castellana neighbourhood.

Looking north from the bridge we can see among the blocks of flats the minaret of the Mosque of Madrid (the Islamic Cultural Centre of Madrid). If we make a 180º turn we can just make out the Las Ventas Bullring hidden amongst the trees, while the emblematic “Torrespaña” communications tower, also known as “El Pirulí” or “the Lollipop”, stands proudly out on the skyline. Despite the incessant traffic in the area, the bridge has pedestrian walkways on both sides.

Updated: 11/04/2019