Storms: Minister of Infrastructure monitors damage in the A1 motorway and forecasts weeks for repair

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz went last Thursday to the A1 motorway stretch near Coimbra that collapsed following an embankment rupturing, admitting that resuming full circulation could take "weeks".

During the site visit, the Minister stressed "the water’s speed and violence", classifying the event as "a completely abnormal situation". According to his explanation, the embankment rupturing caused the landfill that is close to the North Point of the Modengo C overpass to spill, following an exceptional flow above 2,100 cubic metres of water per second.

Until the waters lower, it will not be possible to begin the definitive structural intervention. For now, the emergency mechanisms have been deployed, using rockfills to stabilise the area affected. "Today, we have 15 trucks with rocks to reinforce the rupture. Tomorrow morning, more trucks will reinforce this further", he claimed.

The Minister further cautioned that the fissure in the North-South direction could expand in the other direction, noting that "it will surely take weeks" until the infrastructure is back at the service of the Portuguese people.

"The Government’s commitment is to focus utterly on this solution. We have deployed all the resources and will not leave here until we can get the A1 up and running again with all the teams", he guaranteed.

The road concessionaire indicated as alternatives the A8/A17/A25 corridors or the IC2 until the stabilisation works and technical assessment are carried out.