The Council of Vila Real de Santo António filed an injunction with the Administrative and Fiscal Court of Loulé, against Infraestruturas de Portugal, for the reopening – in safe conditions – from the access crossing to the town of Santa Rita, on the EN125-
The measure follows the placement of pins and cement blocks, by the concessionaire, on that section of road, thus altering the flow of traffic between Municipal Roads 1236 and 1242.
«Effectively, without any information, warning or request for an opinion, cement blocks and pins were placed, changing the structure of the intersection, and a continuous line was painted, in order to prohibit drivers from turning left when circulating on the EN125, preventing access to the locality of Santa Rita (via the EM1236), for drivers coming from Tavira, and those coming from Vila Real de Santo António are also prevented from turning to the locality of Ribeira da Gafa (EM 1242)», reads up in providence.
According to the circulation model now defined by the concessionaire, it is necessary to travel more than 7 kilometers to make a U-turn (safely, at the nearest roundabouts), so drivers, when faced with the impossibility of accessing municipal roads , are choosing to make interruptions and sudden traffic changes. «putting other drivers in danger», says the VRSA Chamber.
For the municipality, the definitive solution for resolving the problem of safety in that location involves the urgent construction of a roundabout, «as is also foreseen in the global plan for the requalification of the EN 125, a work that has not yet advanced due to the fact that the Infraestruturas de Portugal, SA is in dispute with the track's sub-concessionaire'.
However, the City Council says that it has already submitted a set of proposals to Infraestruturas de Portugal, such as the placement of speed reducing devices, the installation of traffic lights or the change in the maximum speed of circulation in the place, instead of closing all the hits.
Furthermore, the municipality will install a billboard at the site, communicating the need to reduce speed on that route and calling for the adoption of defensive measures until all safety conditions are restored and the roundabout is built.
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