AS TRAFFIC lights at Guia, Alcantarilha and Lagoa are being replaced with roundabouts, the Instituto de Estradas de Portugal (IEP), the institute of Roads in Portugal, is contemplating doing the same at other junctions along the infamous “road of death”, the EN125.
The re-occurring traffic jams during the summer months in Lagoa, between the entrance to the FATACIL and petrol stations, has made technicians at IEP think about transforming the present system to one which will reduce the speed of traffic without stopping or obstructing it, with little maintenance required. “This new system will hopefully solve the traffic jams, help dangerous situations occurring and minimise the expense of road maintenance,” a source at IEP justified.
The EN125 has been considered one of the most dangerous roads in Europe. Infamous for the fact that so many motorists have died on it, it has been nicknamed the “road of death”. However, today, the number of accidents has diminished, but the problems of elevated traffic flow continue. This is due to the fact that many still use it as a main road, as it links practically all of the Algarve. Between Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, where it travels through several built up areas, traffic lights have already given way to roundabouts.
Everything now indicates that this trend will follow in other areas of the Algarve, however the IEP admits that roundabouts will not completely substitute traffic lights. As well as new roundabouts, the IEP are proposing to repave parts of the Algarve and build hard shoulders throughout the region.
