They are creating constraints on circulation and even harming the business of those who have establishments there. Even so, the works that are taking place on Avenida 5 de Outubro are seen by the mayor of Olhão as something necessary, which will prepare the city's downtown for "the next 20 years".
Currently, traffic is only in one lane and East-West, on this avenue, which runs parallel to the Ria Formosa, in the city's riverside area, passes through the Municipal Markets and is flanked by dozens of restaurants and other commercial establishments.
Cars are being diverted to a place that was previously used for parking, so there are constraints here too.
Mayor António Pina does not hide "some concern" in relation to the speed with which this intervention is advancing. Despite being carried out in the public space of Olhão, the work is the responsibility of Sociedade Polis, which does not prevent the City Council from following the work "very closely", assured the mayor from Olhão to the Sul Informação.
“When lifting the tar to build underground infrastructure, illegal connections were found, where sewage was mixed with rainwater,” he explained.
However, «most of the situations found have already been resolved», often resorting to «buffering».
“That delayed the progress of this first phase a little. We are also concerned about the contractor's responsiveness. It has been waiting for materials, some of which are very specific, such as Escarpão stone and syenite», revealed António Pina.
The lack of manpower has also prevented the person responsible for carrying out the work from advancing more quickly, a situation that, says the mayor, "has affected the majority of companies that work with the Chamber".
This leads to, at this moment, "some delays in relation to what was planned", at a time when, in almost the entire length of Avenida 5 de Outubro, much of the tar is raised.
«The ones who have suffered the most are the merchants. I recognize that this intervention may be decreasing sales. But I hope that, in a second phase, things will improve a lot», the mayor of Olhão told the Sul Informação.
When the works are finished, António Pina has no doubts that everyone will recognize that the difficulties felt during the six-month duration of the works were worth it.
“We are preparing the downtown of Olhão for the next 20 years. It was untenable to continue with the terraces as they were. The solution was to do this work or to close them down», he considered.
Now, “a space where you feel like being and where there are no restrictions on movement” will be created. The work foresees that the sidewalk, next to the restaurants, will be increased by almost three meters, which will allow regulating the size of the terraces, with benefits for merchants and passersby.
On the other hand, the avenue loses a lane. This will imply the loss of parking – one of the lanes, until now, was intended for parallel parking – or that the circulation is only one-way. When the project was presented, in 2017, António Pina admitted that the option of having a lane dedicated to circulation or parking could alternate, depending on the time of year.
Speaking of parking places, this is another of the problems faced by those who flock to downtown Olhão.
In this field, António Pina pointed out that, in addition to Parque do Levante, «more than 60 places» were created, namely with temporary permission to park on the sidewalk of the two gardens that flank the Municipal Markets.
The intervention that the Polis is carrying out on Avenida 5 de Outubro is expected to end "at the end of April", a deadline that the mayor of Olhão believes will be met.
“This first phase is the most demanding. Next, it is to put the ground, which will be faster», he considered.
Photos of the intervention on Avenida 5 de Outubro:
Photos: Ana Gravanita and Rafaela Viana|ETIC_Algarve
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