The signs indicating Sagres or Vila do Bispo are placed, but covered by paper, secured with glue tape. On the tarmac, already equipped with signaling and protection rails, only cyclists circulate, who take advantage of the brand-new lane to pedal freely.
In other words, the construction works for the Lagos Variant on the EN125 are already ready, with only its inauguration remaining.
Em Faro, the work of the North Bypass to the city is proceeding at a good pace, which also seem almost completed.
So, when will these two variants open to traffic, asked the Sul Informação to the company Infrastructures of Portugal? The answer is "soon", but no concrete date is announced.
According to the company, which oversees the fulfillment of the Rotas do Algarve Litoral sub-concession contract, "the construction works are proceeding at a good pace and in compliance with the established work plan".
Thus, he reveals, «the construction works of the bypass to Lagos are already at a very advanced stage, so its opening to traffic will take place very soon».
Regarding the completion of the Variant to the city of Faro and respective opening to traffic, "will be announced shortly".
There is also the work of the Variante do Troto, in the Almancil area, which is underway, and whose completion is scheduled, according to Infraestruturas de Portugal, "in the autumn".
Joaquina Matos, mayor of Lagos, considers "very important" the opening "as soon as possible" of the EN125 bypass, which prevents the passage of traffic through the city. But he admits that he has not yet been informed of when the opening of that new section of road will take place. «I know that the work is very advanced, if not completed, but we have not yet been informed about its opening».
Despite the good progress of the work, after the three-year stoppage, the truth is that there is, despite everything, some delay, at least to be faithful to the statements made by Rui Sousa, executive director of the concessionaire Rotas do Algarve Litoral, last March, during a visit, with PSD deputies, to the works of the Variant of Faro.
At that time, Rui Sousa presented «June 30th» as the deadline for the completion of the works on the North Bypass of Faro. As for the Lagos variant, it should have been ready “in April”. The Troto Variant, still according to the declarations of that responsible to the Sul Informação, will be "ready in September". In general, he guaranteed then, "all the work [of the three variants and other occasional interventions] will be completed by the end of the year."
The company Infraestruturas de Portugal, in the information sent in response to the questions posed by our newspaper, also reveals that "in the stretch between Vila do Bispo and Olhão, some specific interventions have already been carried out to requalify the EN125, under the responsibility of the concessionaire", the Routes of the Algarve Coast.
But motorists must prepare, because the paving work on the section between Lagos and Vila do Bispo should only be completed "by the end of July", "as stipulated in the work plan".
In the section between Olhão and Lagos, it is expected that work will advance "as soon as possible", but "always after the summer, so as not to jeopardize the flow of traffic during the period of greatest demand for this road".
Infrastructures de Portugal are more difficult to carry out work on the section between Olhão and Vila Real de Santo António, as the company stresses in its statements to the Sul Informação, «its implementation depends on the reversal of the delivery to private parties of this haul, which has not happened so far». That is, "until this reversal takes place, the road is under private jurisdiction."
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