In the face of mounting concerns for the integrity of national infrastructure following weeks of extreme weather, the government has ordered LNEC – the national laboratory of civil engineering – to proceed “with an urgent independent technical evaluation of national road and rail infrastructure”.
The brief is to assess the structural, safety and operational conditions of the various infrastructures – covering critical points such as bridges, tunnels, viaducts, hydraulic passages and grade-separated crossings and embankments.”
The decision is put in the context of the “occurrence of floodings and earth movements/ collapses in various vulnerable areas of national territory, with a tangible impact on road and railway networks” – and which, in some cases led to those areas being cordoned off, or needing significant repairs.
LNEC is tasked with supporting municipal councils and intermunicipal entities in similar evaluations, and presenting, within 30 working days, the criteria and ‘plan of works’ – with a maximum horizon of a year for the final report, besides producing monthly progress reports.
According to the order, the assessment must be “rigorous, complete, swift and independent” – and the IMT (Institute of Mobility and Transport) and IP (Infraestruturas de Portugal) should ‘recommend the companies to carry out the evaluations and send them on to LNEC’.
The order, signed by the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, adds that “no provision of this order or subsequent action by LNEC mitigates or removes the responsibility or obligations of the entities managing road or rail infrastructure”.
This assessment is something that Coimbra mayor Ana Abrunhosa was saying only last night is essential given that “Coimbra and many municipalities have very serious problems on roads, on bridges. They may not be visible, but they are every bit as serious.”
This new audit appears to be either separate from the one announced two days ago, or complementary. Either way, it suggests the government is focused on leaving nothing to chance in the aftermath of so much unbelievable damage.
Source material: LUSA
