The Madrid Professional Association of Civil Engineers has granted the 2009 "Project of the Year" award to the Puerta del Sol Commuter Rail Station, built by FCC for Spain's Infrastructure Ministry.

The prize was presented on Friday by Victor Morlán, Deputy Minister for Planning and Infrastructure at the Infrastructure Ministry, to Avelino Acero, General Manager of Construction at FCC.

The award was based on the scale and difficulty of the technical and environmental challenges involved and the fact that the project had to be completed in the heart of Madrid's old quarter; overcoming those challenges made the Sol station an outstanding public transport project in the region and an example of what civil engineers contribute to Madrid society.

The jury highlighted the work of the FCC team, comprising Avelino Acero, Alejandro Cisneros, Ricardo Gil, Juan Girón and José Luis del Valle.

The Puerta del Sol station, which was inaugurated on 27 June by Spain's Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is part of the new 8,500-metre commuter rail link between Atocha and Chamartín.

The cavern, which is unique because of its characteristics (measuring 207 metres in length, 20 metres in width and 15 metres in height), was designed on two levels: the tracks and platforms are on the lower level, and passengers access via a mezzanine level.

The cavern length is just slightly less than the height of the 250-metre Caja Madrid tower (excluding the upper arch) in the Cuatro Torres Business Area on Madrid's Paseo de la Castellana. 

Two FCC projects, also developed by the same Transport Infrastructure team, received awards from the Madrid Professional Association of Civil Engineers in 2008: the comprehensive refurbishment and expansion of Madrid Metro line 3, and the high-speed rail line to northern and north-western Spain.