Increases to eight conditioned roads, including North-South Axis

O the number of roads with traffic conditioned due to bad weather has increased, by 14:00 today, to eight roads, including the North-South Axis, in the access of Avenida de Ceuta, in Lisbon, revealed Portugal's Infrastructure (IP).

The eight conditioned roads are located in the districts of Lisbon, Setúbal, Portalegre and Guarda, the public company IP reported, at a situation point at 2:00 p.m., which updated the previous information at 1:00 p.m. when there were conditionings on six national roads (EN), due to adverse weather conditions as a result of the depression Charles.

In the district of Lisbon, there are three road roads with conditionings, namely the main route IP7, also known as the North-South Axis, in the access of Avenida de Ceuta, to the kilometre (km) 10,400, in the capital; the EN6, between the km 2,940 and the km 3,000, in Oeiras; and the EN1, at km 24,534, in Vila Franca de Xira.

Already in the district of Setúbal were, by 14:00, two conditioned EN, the N10-1, between the km 0 and the km 0.100 and between the km 0.800 and the km 1.820, in the Seixal, and the EN378, between the km 5.454 and the km 9,200 and between the km 25,130 and the km 25,250, in the access to the fishing port of Sesimbra.

According to IP, in the Guarda district there are two ENs with conditionings, the EN338 between the km 21,000 and km 46,000, in Seia, and the EN338-1, between the km 0 and the km 0.800, Manteigas-Guarda.

Another of the roads affected by bad weather is the EN246-1, between the km 9,360 and the km 10,515, in Marvão, in the district of Portalegre, the company said.

According to IP, “Adverse weather conditions are causing road traffic conditioning in several sections of the national network”, with occurrences requiring ground interventions to ensure safety and restore traffic conditions.

Regarding EN378, in Setúbal, the company indicated that the section conditioned to circulation, specifically in access to the Sesimbra Fishing Port, is “a place where flood situations are recurrent” and, therefore, IP has installed a sensor system that allows timely alerts to be issued in case of flooding.

On this road, the start of an enterprise is also planned, “with a global investment of about 15 million euros, which, in conjunction with the regulation of the affluent water lines, will contribute to solving this problem,” said IP, stating that the project is developed in close collaboration with the municipality.

Regarding the impact of depression Charles on the national road network, the company stressed that IP teams are on the ground to monitor occurrences and to carry out the work necessary to restore the conditions of safety and movement as soon as possible, indicating that it will update the information on conditioning “where appropriate”

Continental Portugal is now on alert until 11:59 p.m. due to the depression Charles, which caused about 200 occurrences of Madeira last night, mainly floods, falls from trees and collapses.

The government decided to close non-essential schools and public services in all districts, recommending people to limit travel and, if possible, to telework.

Until 11:00 today, more than three hundred flights have been cancelled in Lisbon, Faro, Madeira and Porto.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which issued several red warnings due to rain and wind, depression changed its characteristics and on its way to the continent, this morning, there is a reduction in the intensity of wind and gusts. There's still a lot of rain ahead.

During the night the Greater Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula were the most affected areas, especially with floods, but the Faro district is the only one that keeps red warnings for both rain and wind.