The Minister of Planning and Infrastructures, Pedro Marques, has a new friend in Olhão, the city's mayor António Miguel Pina (pictured left) who is delighted that the long-awaited by-pass finally is to be built to relieve the city of some of the worst congestion on the EN125.
Pedro Marques said that this work, that has been expected for so long, will become a reality when it opens in 2019, at a cost of €5.6 million.
António Miguel Pina, emphasised the importance of this bypass in reducing traffic volume through the city and likened the appearance of Marques to the coming of the Magi as he “came to bring to Olhão good news of the greatest value to our area, it's an old desire and need which now sees the light of day."
As for the EN125 roadworks from Olhão to Vila Real de Santo António, Pedro Marques said he wanted to emphasise the commitment the government has to the Algarve and said this work was essential and gave a clear message that mobility in the region is a priority for this Government.
"For this Executive, there is no first-class Algarve and second-class Algarve, so this set of interventions is as important a priority as the interventions that have already been happening in the western Algarve region," said the minister.
According to António Laranjo, from the infrastructure company, the roadworks on the EN125 between Olhão and Vila Real de Santo António "are fundamental to guarantee the safety and fluidity of traffic, as well as the elimination of black spots."
The head of Infraestruturas de Portugal said that Olhão Variant Preliminary Study Contest was published on January 19th on the Government Portal, the first step of a process that will see the bypass finished in 2019.
The new section of road will curve across the top of the city for six kilometres. It will be no speed track though as there are no less than seven roundabouts planned.
Once the Preliminary Study Contest is completed, the follow-up process will be undertaken, taking between three and four months. After this phase, there will be Environmental Impact Studies and then the Execution Project, "a phase that will be carried out by Infraestruturas de Portugal internally, to speed up the process,” said Laranjo.
The Government's forecast the actual construction work for the new bypass will begin and end in 2019.
