Estradas de Portugal is "deceiving the Algarvians" with the announcement that the requalification of the EN125 would be resumed, as the work, as it will advance, will not "benefit" the region, said the president this Thursday of the Chamber of Loulé.
At issue, the many works that fell and the disengagement of 150 kilometers of road from the Rotas do Algarve Litoral concession (between Olhão and Vila real de Santo António), associated with the «929 million euros» that the company will spend on these interventions and on the A22, over the next 10 years. From the outset, and from what was made known to him about the “opaque” contract of this Public Private Partnership, Vítor Aleixo demands that tolls on Via do Infante be abolished, considering that the State has failed in its commitment to the region.
"I have no doubts that the Algarve and the economic agents in the region were deceived by this announcement," said the mayor from Loulé, at a press conference. «What would be decent, on the part of the Government, was the immediate abolition of tolls on Via do Infante», since «the announced compensation, the complete requalification of 125, will not happen».
«The renegotiation presented results from a drastic reduction in works on the EN125. It was supposed that, at the end of these works, it would be a safe route, on which motorists could travel in safety. This will not happen, after what was announced by the president of Estradas de Portugal. Thus, there is a break in the commitment between the Portuguese State and the citizens of the Algarve», added the mayor, to journalists, on the sidelines of the conference.
Vítor Aleixo: "The question that arises, at this moment, is how much of this money is used to pay compensation to the concessionaire"
Vítor Aleixo also considered that the business model associated with these works is «obscure». “After this renegotiation, 929 million euros will still have to be paid. And what we don't know is what is related to the EN125 and what is related to the A22. In these matters, there can be no lack of clarity," he added, considering this "excessive" value.
For the mayor, «Algarvians have every right to know what is going to pay for what. Because the question that arises at the moment is how much of that money is to pay compensation to the concessionaire, which will not be able to complete the work on the EN125 as originally planned».
Another issue raised by Vítor Aleixo is the work that will actually be carried out on the ground. «Many of the interventions initially planned will simply not be carried out, as is the case with the EN 396 between Loulé and Quarteira. Even in the concession area, between Vila do Bispo and Olhão, we do not know if the works will be carried out in accordance with the initial projects», he stressed.
Certainly, only the works in the three Variants (Faro, Lagos and São Lourenço-Almancil) which had already been launched and the intervention along the EN125 in the concession area. “I can assure you one thing: the mayors have these projects in their hands and we will be very attentive to see if these works that will be carried out will fulfill the initial projects”, he assured.
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