Sintra City Council will move forward with the Circular Poente ao Cacém project, connecting the A16, IC19 and Estrada de Paço de Arcos (Oeiras), in an initial investment of more than 3 million euros, an official source announced.
The president of the municipality, Marco Almeida (PSD), today signed the process for the preparation of the project for the execution of the Circular Poente ao Cacém, allowing the connection between Highway 16 (Mira Sintra junction), Complementary Itinerary 19 (Paões junction), the ‘campus’ of the Catholic University and the National Road 249-3 (Estrada de Paço de Arcos).
“We are investing in mobility in Sintra. This long-awaited work connects Rio de Mouro, Cacém-São Marcos and Agualva-Mira Sintra, allowing car traffic to be removed from the centers of these parishes”said Marco Almeida, in a statement sent to Lusa.
The procedure makes it possible to move forward with the project for the execution, review and supervision of the road work contract which, according to the social-democratic mayor, in a “first step represents an investment of more than 3 million euros”.
“In view of the current traffic and the overload of the existing network, particularly on the EN249-3 and IC19, it is considered urgent to carry out this project, which will allow us to redefine the road network and establish direct connections between the EN249-3, IC19 and A16, facilitating significant movements to and from Lisbon, Amadora, Odivelas and Oeiras, without interfering with the lives of the populations”is explained in a note from the municipality.
The hiring of advisory services for the contracting of the project execution and review process was completed in 2023 and the proposal was completed in January of this year, still during the mandate of Basílio Horta (PS), having received a favorable opinion from municipal services.
The road infrastructure, included in the Municipal Master Plan, saw a first phase of its feasibility study receive a favorable opinion from Infraestruturas de Portugal, the entity managing the national road network.
According to the municipality, these works “their main objective is to guarantee the safety of users and reduce travel times, decongesting roads” with service levels in which “needs exceed the capacity of current infrastructures”.
The studies and projects for the creation of the Circular Poente ao Cacém include section A, connecting the A16 (Mira Sintra junction) to the IC19, section B, widening the IC19 to introduce collector roads between the Paiões junction and Av. das Descobertas, and section C, connecting the IC19 (Paões junction) to the Catholic University and the EN249-3 (Estrada de Paço de Arcos/Tagus Park).
Along the projected route, the construction of two viaducts is planned, over the Oeste and Sintra railway lines, a tunnel, under the Paiões junction of the IC19, and another viaduct in the Vale Mourão area to the Católica campus and Estrada de Paço de Arcos.
The scope of the public tender for the preparation of the execution project includes the studies and reports necessary for the environmental assessment and procedural acts to obtain the environmental impact declaration for the work.
“This is the first major project. The services have already been given instructions so that the Circular Saloia Variant, allowing a decent connection to Mafra, will also be off the ground”said Marco Almeida, in the note to Lusa, referring to the extension of the A16 connection to the neighboring municipality in the West region.
The deadlines for completing the work will depend on the progress of the process, namely public tenders for the project and the execution of the contract.