The collapse of the road platform of the Supplementary Route (IC) No. 2 in Agueda, Aveiro district, on Tuesday evening will force motorists to detour almost 50 kilometers for several months.
In a statement, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) said that in order for work to begin as quickly as possible, the contract will be awarded on a design/build basis under an urgent procedure to be carried out in the coming weeks.
The company does not give any time frame for either the start of the work or its completion, adding only that the cessation of traffic on this section connecting Agueda with Albergaria a Vella “will continue.”
As an alternative, IP recommends diverting traffic to Aveiro along the national roads EN333, EN235, EN109 and EN16, a journey that will take about an hour and require a detour of almost 50 kilometers.
Speaking to Lusa, a company source said it was the best possible alternative, not relying on highways and avoiding municipal roads that cannot handle heavy traffic.
Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) also states that “the landslide was caused by saturation of the soil around the platform”, causing it to collapse, and a “large-scale intervention” solution to the problem is being explored. “.
Upcoming work, according to the company, should include the excavation of slumped and compressed material, reconstruction of the embankment with rock embankment, complete redevelopment of the drainage system and implementation of deep transverse drains.
The IC2 highway has been closed to traffic in both directions in the Agueda area since Tuesday evening after a landslide caused a giant crater in the area.
The mayor of Agueda, Jorge Almeida, who monitored the situation from the first hour and even witnessed the collapse of part of the road, expressed concern due to the fact that this is one of the main road axes in the country, with a very large traffic flow.
“We are in a difficult area, very close to Ponte do Vouga, where the terrain is difficult and all the streets that currently serve as alternatives are local roads that cannot support the normal traffic in the area, especially heavy vehicles. “, the mayor emphasized.