If plans come to fruition, Portimão may soon have two more viaducts, two more roundabouts and a larger tunnel, with the aim to eliminate vehicle traffic in the city.
One of the viaducts is practically a reality. It passes over the railway line in an area close to the station and ends at the Portimão Arena roundabout.
The aim is to eliminate vehicle traffic at the level crossing. Therefore, when this viaduct is in operation, anyone travelling from the city towards the hospital will have to use this viaduct, or the Cardosas exit from Avenida Paul Harris.
This is a project carried out by the company Infraestruturas de Portugal and is included in the project to electrify the Algarve railway line.
However, one of the other measures included in Portimão's traffic plan is the construction of another viaduct and a roundabout. They will be located next to the old bridge and will allow drivers to go down to the area behind the sardine restaurants. From there, you can continue, for example, towards the aforementioned viaduct over the level crossing, which is currently in an advanced stage of construction.
The traffic plans also include extending the Cardosas tunnel a few more metres, to an area located between the two fuel stations next to the road leading to the hospital roundabout. The possibility of building a roundabout in this area, right above the tunnel, is also being studied.
Another option on the table is to create another road connecting to the hospital roundabout. Therefore, drivers leaving the city via the viaduct over the railway, after passing Portimão Arena and the Employment Centre, could continue straight ahead along the new road, without having to use the one that connects Cardosas to the Hospital.
For now, all that is certain is the construction of the viaduct over the railway line, which is nearing completion.
Portimão Council should soon make a public announcement of final decisions on all other plans, and other possible changes to traffic circulation, as well as the launch of the respective projects and competitions.
See the locations of these proposed improvements in this video:
