“The collapse of Rua da Madalena is imminent and the current executive of the Lisbon City Council insists on the strategy of ‘appearing to be doing’ but actually doing little to solve it”, said, in a statement, the parish council chaired by Miguel Coelho (PS).

In the note, the parish council acknowledged that “closing Rua da Prata to traffic was a good decision”, but warned that “without a support strategy and fundamental changes in the mobility paradigm, it will be nothing more than a propagandist measure”.

The Lisbon City Council, “despite all the warnings, alternative solutions and facts demonstrated” by the parish council regarding the overloading of Rua da Madalena, “persists in maintaining the flow of traffic along this route, since the closure of Rua da Prata to road traffic”, reads the statement.

“Rua da Madalena is used daily by an average of 6,000 vehicles, including buses and other heavy vehicles”, which, “every day, pollute, cause excessive noise, restrict traffic and access to commerce and housing”, compromising pedestrian circulation and damaging, “quickly and in the eyes of everyone, the road infrastructure”, pointed out the council.

Considering that “circulation along Rua da Madalena is compromised, as well as the preservation of the building and the safety of citizens”, the parish council said it welcomed “with surprise” the information from the vice-president of the chamber that Rua da Madalena “would accommodate up to 8,000 vehicles per day”.

“It is enough to follow the accelerated development of the degradation of the pavement of this street, to realize how absurd it is to support this idea. The Parish Council notified, in writing, the municipality about the degradation of this artery, particularly due to holes and collapses and the danger they represent”, which is highlighted in the note.

Last week, at the invitation of Miguel Coelho, the vice-president of the Lisbon Chamber, Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP), who is responsible for Mobility, “was able to confirm 'on-site' the veracity of the information sent, ensuring a quick intervention on the ground, which resolved nothing”, added the parish council.