Work on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon will begin on Monday. Know which streets to avoid

The contract to restore the old traffic directions on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon comes into effect on Monday, will be phased in to minimize restrictions, and is expected to be completed in four months, the municipality said this Thursday.

“The contract includes automatic traffic signaling, vertical and horizontal signaling to upgrade traffic lights, redirect side roads and repair intermediate areas,” Lisbon City Council, chaired by Carlos Moedas (PSD), said.

In response to the Lusa agency, the municipality indicated that the expected period of work is four months, the interventions will be phased in order to minimize restrictions in the Avenida da Liberdade area, and “the investment value of the contract is 522,542.56 euros.” .

In March of this year, the Lisbon Mobility and Parking Company (EMEL), to which the city council delegated the work, said that the contract to restore the old traffic directions on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade should begin in April, which happened. will not happen.

Asked about a delay of almost five months from the planned date, the municipality reported that “the first tender announced by EMEL was canceled”, so a new tender had to be announced, which coincided with the city holidays and the World Day of da Juventude, from -for which the start of work was “postponed until the second half of August.”

Following the award of the contract, work will begin on Monday, August 28, and will be carried out in four phases (each phase is estimated to last five to 10 days) to “minimize the impact on traffic, parking and local business.”

According to the municipality, “access to residents, garages, services and emergency vehicles, as well as walking and cycling will be guaranteed.”

Forbidden streets and alternative routes

The first leg runs from 28 August to 4 September between Marquis de Pombal and Via Alexandre Herculano (southbound), while an alternative route will be access to Via Alexandre Herculano via Avenida Duque de Lole and Via Camilo Castelo Branco. .

The rest of the stages will take place from 4 to 8 September between Rua Alexandre Herculano and Rua Barata Salgueiro (southbound); from 11 to 18 September, between the intersection of Rua Alexandre Herculano and Avenida da Liberdade (island); and from 19 to 28 September on the section between the Marquês de Pombal Square and Alexandre Herculano Street and on the section between Alexandre Herculano Street and Rosa Araujo Street, according to information from the municipality available on the website at https:/ /www.lisboa.pt/agenda /municipio/intervencao-nas-vias-ternalis-na-avenida-da-liberdade.

The contract for the replacement of traffic directions on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade is aimed at “improving traffic, making it easier and safer to move around, as well as modernizing the traffic signal network,” the municipality explained.

With regard to the BE recommendation, approved in March at the Lisbon Municipal Assembly, that the council formulate the restoration of the direction of traffic on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade with the creation of a low emission zone (ZER), the municipality informed Luza that “The present intervention is only aimed at restoring the directions of traffic on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade”, in response to proposal No. 634/2020, approved by a majority vote at the meeting of the Chamber on October 15, 2020.

“It is also important to note that Avenida da Liberdade is currently part of zone 1 of the current ZER,” the chamber stressed, pointing out that only vehicles after the year 2000 circulate in this area of ​​the Avenida da Liberdade/Baixa axis. i.e. comply with EURO 3 emission regulations (generally passenger cars built after January 2000 and heavy vehicles built after October 2000).

In October 2020, the Chamber of Lisbon, then chaired by Fernando Medina (PS), approved a proposal by councilor Teresa Leal Coelho (PSD) to restore traffic directions in the side corridors of Avenida da Liberdade.

In 2012, the municipality carried out a series of traffic changes at the roundabout of Marquis de Pombal and Avenida da Liberdade, which immediately had an impact “on all mobility in the city of Lisbon due to the importance of the area as a distribution point”. a hub of traffic flows in the city,” the SDP mayor defended at the time.

On Avenida da Liberdade, the traffic routes in the central corridor were rerouted, and the traffic system in the side corridors was also changed, as a result of which traffic on the sides of the avenue was no longer possible.