The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport assured today in Ponta Delgada that the Regional Government will hold make an investment over four million Euros in the access to Ribeira Quente in the municipality of Povoação.
 
Vítor Fraga spoke after a hearing at the Committee of General Policy of the Legislative Assembly, adding that "there is an initial investment in a contract work to be launched next week for the consolidation of slopes, amounting to 1.4 million Euros, followed by another contract work for the construction of a semi-tunnel, an investment of 2.7 million Euros."
 
The Regional Secretary pointed out that the first investment, which is the second stage of consolidation of the slopes of that regional road, will be launched next week. The intervention covers eight areas, "four which are located before the tunnel and the other four after the tunnel."
 
With regard to the studies conducted under the contract work project for the interventions to be carried out in this road, Vítor Fraga stressed that "there is an area where the solution for the consolidation of slopes cannot be applied," which requires the "construction of a half tunnel."
 
"This new contract work will be launched at a later stage, after the completion of the contract work to be launched next week," added the government official.
 
"The commitments made by the Government for this legislative will be fulfilled under the intervention in the access road between Furnas and Ribeira Quente, where the main goal is to ensure the safety of that road," said the Regional Secretary.
 
Vítor Fraga also said that, "in addition to being a different type of work in the consolidation of slopes and the construction of a semi-tunnel, we are careful to make interventions in order to permanently ensure a safe circulation on the road and ensure access to Ribeira Quente throughout the execution of the works."
 
With regard to the road between Furnas and Povoação, Vítor Fraga recalled that the Government has never promised to build a tunnel; there was "a solution that could include a tunnel."
 
"Right now, we have the previous study and the environmental impact study. We are at a stage where the previous study is being consolidated with the environmental impact study in order to define the base programme and, subsequently, launch the tender for design/construction," said the Regional Secretary. He added that what has been defined by the previous study and is being consolidated by the environmental impact study involves interventions on the road and the construction of new road sections.