Monchique's mayor Rui André has drafted in the Army to repair roads in his mountainous region as rain damage and mudslides have made many impassable.
Commander of the Military Engineering Regiment, Colonel João Pires, is happy to help and has been to inspect the work.
The road between Foz do Besteiro and Marmelete is in need of special attention among a network of damaged roads which the Army has been repairing using its heavy machinery.
Rui André already has drawn on the goodwill of the Army with an Infantry regiment helping out with observation duties during the peak season for forest fires last Summer.
André said the help is a good use of State resources,
"The municipality of Monchique has a fairly extensive road network and suffers from considerable wear from heavy vehicles transporting timber and stone, which combined with the construction of some of the roads, makes repairs essential but at a high cost to the council.
"Although the council budget this year allocated a large sum to improve the condition of the roads in the area, this partnership is extremely important because it allows intervention in some of the most critical areas. The best place for the military is out of its barracks and in the fight, not in a war but sorting out people's needs," added André.
The agreement is that the Portuguese Army gives machinery and skilled personnel for the work, while the council bears the cost of food and accommodation for the soldiers involved, as well as fuel for the machines and the materials required to fix the roads.
