Ministerial befuddlement over EN125 re-start date

The Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, said today in parliament that the Algarve’s EN125 upgrade works “will be completed by the summer.”

Asked about the delay in finishing the job, Pedro Marques said that the EN125 roadworks, suspended since mid-June, should be resumed "at the end of this year or early 2017..."

"The works will start when the negotiations with the concession holder are complete. I hope it's by the end of this year or early next year. There is no reason for the job not to be completed by next summer," said the minister whose lack of grasp of the EN125 timetable continues to concern MPs and many resident in the Algarve.

It may be quicker to go by bike next year as the European cycling route network, ‘EuroVelo, wants to link up with the Algarve’s Ecovia to be able to promote 1,650 kilometers of cycle routes across Europe.

The existing Ecovia route across the Algarve still has major problems in that it is not yet a ‘via’ as it doesn’t form a coherent, well signposted cycling route as this depends on individual councils bothering to give a damn, which some do not.

The problems of Ecovia have been spotted by Tourism Secretary of State Ana Mendes Godinho who said she would "do what is necessary" to make the route into a route, not a series of poorly-maintained sections, yet there has been nothing more than words so far.

The EuroVelo scheme has identified four sections in the Algarve of 50-80 kilometers each.

These are planned to be Sagres to Aljezur, Portimão to Sagres, Quinta do Lago to Portimão, and Vila Real de Santo António to Quinta do Lago.

With this alternative cycling route likely to be promoted outside the country, the confusion for cyclists may become overwhelming with an intermittent Ecovia and a EuroVelo system in four parts.

You must be a registered user to make comments.
Please register here to post your comments.