“We want to resolve [the situation on] the entire EN125 as quickly as possible so that during 2024 we can make decisions regarding urgent works that need to advance on this road”, said João Galamba.

At issue is a conflict between Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) and the sub-concessionaire Rotas do Algarve Litoral (RAL), which is being resolved in an arbitration court.

In 2019, RAL communicated to IP its intention to terminate the contract for the road sub-concession, as it understood that the contract was unviable after the Court of Auditors (TdC) refused to approve the changes made in 2017 to the document, signed in 2010.

“We are exploring all possible ways to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, either because the arbitration court moves forward, or because we resolve it in another way”, said João Galamba, without specifying how the situation could be resolved outside the arbitration court.

The minister reinforced the guarantee that “during the year 2024, this situation will be resolved, unblocked”, so that the Government can “take decisions on a set of priority interventions that, at the moment, are blocked”.

For years local people have been asking for work on the section of the EN125 between Faro and Vila Real de Santo António.

Bypass

Meanwhile, João Galamba revealed that he will sign the charge extension ordinance that enables the launch of the tender for the work on the Olhão bypass of the EN125.

Six kilometres long and with an estimated cost of 15.6 million euros, the bypass will remove traffic from the centre of the city of Olhão, in the district of Faro.

In August, the Government authorised IP to negotiate with the sub-concessionaire RAL to take over the construction of this section, which is included in the set of works of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

“The Olhão bypass is unique because it was a PRR project, which is [associated] not only with the PRR's financial issue, but also with the PRR's goals. Therefore, it had this uniqueness and we were able to resolve it separately”, maintained the Minister of Infrastructure.

IP will launch the competition “in the next few days, at the latest in the next two weeks”, estimated the government official, adding that the award should be made during the year 2024.

“Our expectation is that there may already be some work on the ground during the year 2024”, he concluded.