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Anger as Almancil road works postponed
Updated: 30-Jul-2010

Work on the main road in Almancil has stopped for the summer. Photo: PAULO SILVESTRE – THE RESIDENT GROUP

By PAULO SILVESTRE and DAISY SAMPSON news@algarveresident.com

Residents and traders in the business hot spot of Almancil claim that the “never ending” road works in the town, which have been put on hold until the end of the summer, are affecting their livelihoods.

The works, which were supposed to be finished on July 2, include the introduction of basic infrastructure like water, sewers, storm water systems and communications lines.

As they had not been completed by the deadline, they were suspended by Loulé Câmara for the summer season.

Loulé Câmara vice president José Graça told Portuguese newspaper Barlavento: “The works have stopped due to tourism activity at this time of year.”

But the delay in completing the work has caused discontent among traders.

Linda Taylor-Gonçalves of the Griffin Bookshop in Almancil told the Algarve Resident: “Every business in Almancil has been affected badly by the road works in the town and I find it appalling that, while so much money is being spent on promoting the Golden Triangle, it is completely wasted as tourists get in their hire cars and are faced with what looks like a war zone.”

She added: “I am sure that when it is finished, it will look attractive but perhaps the engineer in charge of the project should have his job reviewed after this. I keep on thinking that all things eventually come to an end. I just hope that it isn’t the businesses in Almancil that end before the road works do.”

Pia Cross, owner of Guys and Dolls children’s fashion boutique in Almancil, is also frustrated with the road works: “These works are costing my business dearly as there is nowhere for customers to park and people are now taking huge detours to avoid Almancil altogether because of the poor state of the road, while there are long queues of traffic trying to negotiate the works.”

She added: “In the UK, we would have received compensation for the loss of earnings for our businesses, especially as they have not met their initial deadline to complete the works. We are all just trying to hang in there and survive as businesses here, but it is very difficult, especially when we receive no help from Loulé Câmara.”

Traffic constraints

However, José Graça said: “There will be no road works at this time because it could cause movement constraints in the traffic. Until mid September, the road works will be stopped in order not to cause further inconvenience for the tourists and businesses.”

José Graça said that work on the new pavements, using calçada, will continue. “We expect the pavement work to be finished before the beginning of next summer,” he said.

“More than two-thirds of the work already has the infrastructure installed. But this is a complex project as, in addition to the two routes, it will also include the construction of a bike lane and a pedestrian route. It should all be completed by April 2011.”

Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at ines.lopes@theresidentgroup.com