Outgoing government busy ‘announcing’ spending ahead of AD’s taking office
In another example of the outgoing government playing catch-up on spending, PS Socialists have today declared ‘urgent public utility’ of several properties standing in the way of plans for further electrification of the Douro Line, between Marco de Canaveses and Régua.
The declaration has appeared in Diário da República, signed by assistant secretary of state for infrastructure, Frederico Francisco, and paves the way for the expropriation of real estate and inherent rights necessary for the €118 million contract.
What it means, explains Lusa, is that State entity Infraestruturas de Portugal “in its capacity as manager of national roads and rail infrastructures” is now authorised to “take administrative possession of the plots” in question.
The declaration “justifies that the project will strongly promote the improvement of connections to various urban centres, services and industry located along this railway axis, ensuring the strengthening of social and territorial cohesion combined with the promotion of sustainability of the transport system”.
The new project will extend the electrification of the Douro line from kms 60 to 107, writes Lusa.
An international public tender, launched by IP, and extended twice, came to an end in January, but it is still unclear who has ‘won it’. An IP source told Lusa last week that the “evaluation phase of proposals submitted” is still underway.
As for the expropriations, the declaration explains that “considering the positive repercussions on the railway, which include better management of the railway fleet on a section that will be electrified and lower operating and maintenance costs, this is a situation of urgent public interest (…) it is essential to have the land covered by it available in good time and, as such, to begin the process of expropriating the properties and rights inherent to them, necessary for its execution, whose occupation has been limited to what the project defines, in the areas of permanent occupation and the areas of temporary occupation”.
The properties to be expropriated are located in the municipalities of Marco de Canaveses and Baião, in the district of Porto, and Mesão Frio and Peso da Régua, in the district of Vila Real.
Source material: LUSA
