Preparing for the second punch of Storm Marta, the Community of Madrid activated its winter-road protocol early Saturday. A dedicated force of 171 highway-maintenance staff, 62 snowploughs and 16 auxiliary vehicles began pre-salting mountain passes and the A-1, A-6 and M-601 corridors, where the State Weather Agency (AEMET) predicts up to 15 cm of fresh snow above 1,000 m.
Stocks include more than 4,000 tonnes of road salt and 137,000 litres of brine stored in 25 depots across the region. While Marta’s core impacts stick to Andalucía, Madrid’s Sierra de Guadarrama often decides whether long-haul truckers between Spain’s northern ports and the south can keep moving. The regional transport ministry is running hourly coordination calls with the DGT and towing contractors to minimise forced overnight closures that upend supply-chain schedules.
Employers with field technicians and sales teams have been urged to shift appointments virtual and prohibit company-car use in the Sierra after 20:00 on Saturday. If the yellow alerts are upgraded, authorities may impose HGV lane restrictions on the A-1 and require chains on the Puerto de Navacerrada, a customary choke-point for weekend traffic.
![Madrid Deploys 62 Snowploughs and 4,000 t of Salt as Storm Marta Heads North-East]()
For international travelers and expatriate staff whose itineraries may suddenly change because of Marta’s disruptions, VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can swiftly arrange visa extensions, Schengen travel insurance and other consular paperwork online, freeing companies to focus on safety logistics rather than red tape.
Although Madrid-Barajas airport expects only minor de-icing delays, the regional emergency service has pre-positioned four Sno-Cat ambulances near popular ski resorts to ensure rapid evacuation of injured tourists – a first since the record winter of 2021.
The operation exemplifies how Spanish autonomous communities are sharpening contingency planning after last winter’s ‘Filomena-Lite’ storm paralysed the capital for three days. For global-mobility managers the key takeaway is that extreme-weather protocols now extend beyond rural highways to strategic business corridors that connect Spain’s industrial heartlands.
Stocks include more than 4,000 tonnes of road salt and 137,000 litres of brine stored in 25 depots across the region. While Marta’s core impacts stick to Andalucía, Madrid’s Sierra de Guadarrama often decides whether long-haul truckers between Spain’s northern ports and the south can keep moving. The regional transport ministry is running hourly coordination calls with the DGT and towing contractors to minimise forced overnight closures that upend supply-chain schedules.
Employers with field technicians and sales teams have been urged to shift appointments virtual and prohibit company-car use in the Sierra after 20:00 on Saturday. If the yellow alerts are upgraded, authorities may impose HGV lane restrictions on the A-1 and require chains on the Puerto de Navacerrada, a customary choke-point for weekend traffic.
For international travelers and expatriate staff whose itineraries may suddenly change because of Marta’s disruptions, VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can swiftly arrange visa extensions, Schengen travel insurance and other consular paperwork online, freeing companies to focus on safety logistics rather than red tape.
Although Madrid-Barajas airport expects only minor de-icing delays, the regional emergency service has pre-positioned four Sno-Cat ambulances near popular ski resorts to ensure rapid evacuation of injured tourists – a first since the record winter of 2021.
The operation exemplifies how Spanish autonomous communities are sharpening contingency planning after last winter’s ‘Filomena-Lite’ storm paralysed the capital for three days. For global-mobility managers the key takeaway is that extreme-weather protocols now extend beyond rural highways to strategic business corridors that connect Spain’s industrial heartlands.
