The Portuguese government has ordered a nationwide review of key infrastructure after weeks of severe storms across the country.
Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, said the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC) will carry out a “major audit of all critical engineering structures and infrastructure” to ensure that the weather has not compromised their security.
Speaking after a meeting with transport and infrastructure authorities, the minister stressed that major assets such as “large embankments and bridges” cannot be left at risk in extreme situations like those recently experienced. The audit is expected to take place “in the coming months and years.”
“We have to ensure that the legacy of public works is resilient, safe and reliable for the Portuguese people who use it every day,” he added, recalling the collapse of the Entre os Rios Bridge in March 2001, following heavy rains and increased flow in the River Douro, which claimed the lives of 59 people.
Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) is now leading reconstruction work in affected regions alongside local councils. Meanwhile, the government has already made available an additional €400 million for repairs as part of its support package.
“We have dozens and dozens of national roads that are closed, in addition to hundreds of municipal roads,” the minister said, adding that IP is working with municipalities to find alternative routes.
“We cannot wait months” to restore mobility in the hardest-hit areas, he stressed.
Pinto Luz said the government is acting through IP, LNEC and the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT), while also supporting local authorities rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
The minister’s statements came on Monday after he met with key sector bodies, including Anacom, CP – Comboios de Portugal, Metropolitano de Lisboa, Metro do Porto, Metro do Mondego, the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation, Public Construction, and LNEC, to assess the storm’s impact.
Source: LUSA
