The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport announced today that the Government of the Azores will launch, by the end of the year, procedures for public works that will be carried out on the island of Santa Maria, representing a total investment of 8.3 million Euros.

Vítor Fraga spoke on the sidelines of the presentation of the project for an intervention in the Regional Road Network of Santa Maria in order to renew the section of the Region Road between Arrebentão and Vigia da Areia in São Lourenço. In addition to the investment of 8.3 million Euros, we should take into account the 2.3 million Euro investment for contract works to be launched and an investment of 1.2 million Euros regarding contract works in progress or about to be concluded.

With this series of interventions included in the Regional Public Works Charter (CROP), the Government "intends to provide a new impetus to the construction sector in order to improve the sustainability of the sector as well as its capacity to create and maintain jobs” stressed Vítor Fraga.

The renewal of the section of the Regional Road between Arrebentão and Vigia da Areia "is part of the interventions to improve the regional road network, which will be carried out throughout the archipelago." This work covers an extension of 2.7 kilometres and corresponds to an investment of nearly 800 thousand Euros.

The Regional Secretary also noted that this contract work "falls under an investment policy that the Government has been developing for the Region and is also included the Regional Public Works Charter"; the latter was recently revised and reflects the new eligibility criteria under the new Community Support Framework."

The proposals for this contract work have already been submitted and are currently under analysis. The work is expected to begin by mid-September.

"The scheduling took into account the fact that São Lourenço Bay is one the main tourist spots of Santa Maria and, for that reason, our aim to carry out this intervention after the high season," said Vítor Fraga.