The traffic once again could use the EN125 at 15.45 this afternoon - the road had been closed since 13.00 due to an accident that left two dead and four seriously injured.
The accident at Sítio do Carmo, Lagoa in front of the Pina garden centre on the notoriously overly-busy main road caused miles of tailbacks with road use already at a summertime high.
The police said there had been a head on collision between two vehicles as one tried a U-turn to escape stationary traffic and was hit head on by a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
The result was horrific with the Lagoa based driver of the handicap registered vehicle that had attempted the U-turn lying dead alongside his partner in the wreckage. The four French tourists in the car that hit the U-turning vehicle ended up in hospital.
Traffic was diverted to the tolled motorway at the Silves and Alcantarilha junctions, and onto the minor road by the International School of the Algarve.
The GNR said traffic was heavier than usual as many were travelling to Faro to see the Super Cup football this evening.
It took over two hours to remove the victims from the wreckage and nearly three before the road again was passable.
According to the GNR, the two fatalities were in one vehicle and the four injured were in the second car. The seriously injured were rushed to hospital.
There were 11 vehicles and 24 operational emergency service staff at the scene, mostly from Lagoa and Portimão bombeiros, in addition to an INEM ambulance team and the GNR.
