Business owners up in arms over refurbishment work in Albufeira
THE DEADLINE for completion of the refurbishment work being carried out under Polis Albufeira, the plan for improvements in the borough, will be reached in 310 days, however, business owners and residents have doubts that the work will be completed on time.
While improvements are desired by all, those living and working in downtown Albufeira are worried that the work in progress will not be finished by the Easter deadline, a situation that would damage business during a period that is normally popular with tourists.
Building works, which are being carried out from Praça dos Pescadores to Avenida da Liberdade, including the Largo Eng. Duarte Pacheco, have left the downtown area ‘upside down’, blocking all the main access for traffic, and shop owners are complaining that business has been “very poor” due to this.
However, João Cerca, director of Sociedade Polis, is guaranteeing that the company responsible for the work, Soporcil, will comply with the deadline and that, by Easter, there will be access for traffic downtown, so that business owners can go back to working as normal. Soporcil has even employed a second team and is now authorised to work round the clock.
The work underway includes the replacement of infrastructures for basic sanitation, water supply and improvements to the use of public areas. An underground carpark is also being constructed on the site of the old Fábrica da Alfarroba and construction for another one planned for the downtown area, next to Avenida dos Descobrimentos, will begin shortly.
