In the face of a government decision announced earlier this week to maintain the suspension of roadworks on the Algarve’s overloaded EN125 road, work is to resume, according to a well-timed pre-election announcement.
Estradas de Portugal stated today that it has reached agreements with the subcontractors for the Algarve coastline road that will save the taxpayer €507 million and that work on the road will resume in July.
In a statement from Estradas de Portugal, headed by António Ramalho, it was announced that "the agreements in this second negotiation phase had a special urgency given the interruption of work that has existed since 2011."
The road will only be repaired to the west of Olhão as far as Vila do Bispo near Lagos leaving a long stretch from Olhão heading east to the Spanish border in its current state of disrepair.
There are the usual get-out clauses as the deal is subject to verification by the bank syndicates involved, the State and the Court of Auditors but Ramalho said July, so July is will be, in time to maximise the disruption to holiday traffic.
Faro council is pleased with the agreement to resume work on its northern bypass that has lain half finished for so long that it now is a popular route for joggers. The major work includes repairs and upgrades along the Olhão to Vila do Bispo section and bypasses for Lagos and S. Lourenço/Troto.
Faro council, never backwards in coming forwards, reckons that it sought to “contribute decisively with a serious attitude” to resolve the EN125 situation and it is now determined "to solve other problems such as the dredging of the Ria Formosa, the rail link to the airport and the redevelopment of the commercial wharf."
The new work does not involve the construction of various other bypasses initially planned for and still much needed.
There is still no movement on scrapping the Via do Infante tolls system but the new EN125 agreement between Estradas de Portugal and the subcontractors is good for the Algarve, in the view of the President of the mayors’ group AMAL, but for them "the key is to set a firm date for the commencement of works."
