Madrid's M-30 Motorway on Discovery ChannelMadrid's inner ring road, the M-30, is the busiest road in Spain. It is famous for its traffic jams and pollution. The chronical traffic crisis had to be solved quickly and efficiently, as the city expanded rapidly in recent years and dangerous congestion was becoming an almost constant problem. The massive and ambitious M-30 project aims to solve the problems of gridlock on Madrid's roads by refurbishing the road and running major sections of it underground, allowing the surface areas that used to be asphalt paved to be redeveloped into green park areas, footpaths, cycle paths and new housing. A total of 99 km of new road and 56 km of tunnel will have been constructed by the time the project is completed. With an estimated budget of EUR3.7 billion and completion date of mid-2007, this is a major engineering feat. Several tunnel sections have already been opened. Read E-News Weekly 8/2007.One of the toughest challenges is the south bypass, for which a team of German engineers at Herrenknecht designed the then world biggest TBM to bore the north tunnel deep underground while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Duro Felguera designed and assembled a second machine, as massive as its sister, to drive the south tunnel. On 26th February at 7 pm, Discovery Channel will televise a programme telling viewers the fantastic M-30 achievements. Click here, here, here and es/104. Visit www.discoverychannel.co.uk/machines_and_engineering/megabuilders/madridproject/index.shtml 09/07.