PATIENTS FROM Portimão’s CHBA hospital are at risk of being stranded in traffic queues when trying to enter or exit via the hospital’s only access route.
The congested state of this access has prompted the hospital’s management to write to Portimão Câmara, which, despite promising to improve the situation, have not yet made any changes.
The situation has grown significantly worse since Portimão’s old bridge closed for repair works, which will last many months. The road past the Centro Hospitalar do Barlavento Algarvio, which leads to the EN125 and the Via do Infante A22 motorway is now the main entrance way into the city, leading to long traffic queues on the roundabout directly outside the hospital.
Third lane
Luis Batalau, director of the CHBA hospital, said: “We have informed the Câmara in writing about our worries and have even offered a temporary solution which is to open a third lane of traffic exclusively for hospital emergencies.”
Luis Batalau said he is expecting difficult days ahead if the situation is not resolved quickly. “Until now we have not had great problems; however it is worth preventing against a great tragedy, as Carnival, Easter and summer are all on their way,” said Luis Batalau, adding: “If the roundabout is congested, there is no alternative route for ambulances.”
In response to these concerns, Portimão Câmara’s President, Manuel da Luz, said that it has already been decided to widen the road to three lanes from the roundabout to the Cardosas tunnel. “A new roundabout will also be built near the Repsol petrol station which will allow traffic to flow more freely,” said Manuel da Luz.
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