The Olhão Variant «is really to be done», but the construction work will only advance, at best, in the last quarter of 2018. Pedro Marques, Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, was today in Olhão, at the presentation of the work, which saw the competition for preliminary studies launched yesterday.
Until the machines start working, there is still, for example, the environmental impact study, the project design, the launch of the public tender, the approval of the Court of Auditors...
The government official explained to journalists why this work, which has long been an ambition of the city of Olhão, is only now taking its first steps.
«This work was not a priority before, for the previous Government, because we didn't even find the projects to carry it out. The reason why it can only happen after 2018 is the fact that we have to carry out previous studies, environmental impact assessments, projects, RECAPE and only after that will the tender be launched. All this has deadlines that are long and could have been exceeded if the variant had been a priority and if we had found the projects».
But that was not the case, and «if that was not the case, we could do what we did and yesterday we had already launched the competitions for the previous studies. We gave the political signal to the people of Olho, and to the region, which we understand that it is a priority work, it is really to be carried out, and that we have already started this process”, added the minister.
António Pina, mayor of Olhão, was satisfied with the announcement of the work and even compared the minister and secretaries of State to Reis Magos, who visited the city and left a gift.
“This is the great public work we were all waiting for. In recent years, Olhão has grown a lot, it already has all the collective equipment, this is the work that was missing», said the mayor.
António Pina was also pleased with the fa
act of the minister having considered “that the work was at the top of the priorities. We are at the beginning of the process, but there was a very clear commitment to do and also a commitment to the date for the execution of the work».
António Laranjo, president of Infraestruturas de Portugal, was responsible for presenting what is planned for this intervention, which will cost around 5 million euros.
The bypass will connect the access roundabout on the A22, between Tavira and Olhão, to the Bela Mandil area and will have a length of 6 kilometers, crossing the parishes of Quelfes and Pechão.
The road will have a lane in each direction, 3,5 meters each, will cross 7 roundabouts and, according to António Laranjo, «the base speed will be 80km/h».
Section of the EN125 between the exit from Olhão and the access to the A22 will receive works this year
If for the Olhão Variant to be completed, it will be necessary to wait, at least until 2019, in the case of the section of the EN125 that connects the city to the roundabout accessing the A22 (New Industrial Zone), an intervention is planned, which should "start this year" and which is part of a set of "urgent works", revealed Pedro Marques.
This work includes interventions at floor level, signaling, drainage and parking, over an extension of 1,5 kilometers.
The intervention that, according to the plan, starts in the 3rd quarter of this year and ends in the 1st quarter of 2018, has an estimated cost of 600 thousand euros.
See the photos from the session:
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