Things have also changed underground in recent times. Under the foundation of the Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square) where the Puerta de Alcalá is located, and to the north along Calle Serrano is one of the most comfortable and innovative underground parking lots in Madrid: Serranopark.

With 3,297 parking spaces, including spaces for residents and others in rotation, the garage takes up the uppermost layer of Calle Serrano’s underbelly, all the way up to Hermanos Bécquer near Nuevos Ministerios.

Serranopark is no ordinary parking lot. It features license plate recognition and guidance systems, centralized facility monitoring, charging stations for electric cars, ViaT and online payment, and antennas that extend 3G mobile coverage to every floor. It is one of the most tech-savvy and comfortable parking options in the city. Today, that city spreads across hundreds of square kilometers that were once only occupied by the roads leading to the Puerta de Alcalá.