Latest news and stories about public infrastructure in government in Portugal for expats and residents.
Municipalities affected by storms earlier this year can now apply for the Municipal Emergency Fund (Fundo de Emergência Municipal or FEM) to cover up to 60% of infrastructure repair costs. Applications remain open until November 30 for local authorities in areas where a state of calamity was declared. Some councils have previously resorted to bank loans to manage the damage while awaiting this state support.
The Ministry of Justice (Ministério da Justiça or MJ) has announced a 42-million-euro investment to modernize prisons and educational centers through the Justice Modernization Fund (Fundo de Modernização da Justiça or FMJ). This initiative, which runs until 2029, includes funding to facilitate the closure of the Lisbon Prison (Estabelecimento Prisional de Lisboa or EPL).
Net charges for public-private partnerships rose by 36 million euros compared to the figure forecast for 2025, bringing the total state expenditure to 1124.2 million euros.
Six weeks after Storm Kristin, students in Vieira de Leiria continue to face significant educational disruptions, with classes held in makeshift locations including containers and a former mortuary chapel due to ongoing infrastructure repairs.
Municipalities affected by storms can now apply for the Municipal Emergency Fund (FEM) to cover up to 60% of the costs for repairing and rebuilding public infrastructure. The Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, led by Castro Almeida, announced that applications are open until November 30th for regions where a state of calamity was declared. While the government has already provided an initial advance of 75 million euros to 84 municipalities, many local authorities report that these funds are insufficient to cover the total damages, forcing them to use their own capital or take out bank loans to address critical infrastructure repairs.
The penultimate reprogramming of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) introduced the concept of “substantial completion” to be applied to certain projects, such as schools and health centres. These are works that will not be fully finished by 31 August, but which show a very high degree of execution, allowing the European Commission to fund them, although...
Gonçalo Lage (PSD) states that the value presented allows room for optimisations. Meanwhile, Frederico Francisco (PS) reiterates that the decisive phase is yet to come, as ANA must define how it will finance the construction.
The secretary-general of the Portuguese Pavement Association warned today about the risk of the stonemason profession becoming extinct and the consequences for the state of conservation of the pavement, requesting that the Government take measures.
The tender covers 100 km of road and has a 720-day deadline. Mayors of Ansião and Pombal applaud the step but warn: the real commitment will be measured when there are “machines on the ground”.
The City Council unanimously approved the contract award to the company Vítor Hugo. An opposition councillor warned of an “abnormally low price” and demanded oversight.
MP Filipa Pinto highlights the need for clear answers and criticises the successive delays in the building's rehabilitation process.
Faced with vague responses and extended deadlines from CP regarding the rehabilitation of railway buildings, the Figueira da Foz City Council proposes to recover and take control of that heritage for 20 years.
Infraestruturas de Portugal announced that one of the board members elected at the general meeting submitted a declaration of non-acceptance. Alberto Aroso cited a personal reason.
Ana Abrunhosa stated that the delays associated with this process are “a concern” for the municipality.
The museum has been closed since 2024 for rehabilitation works under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Isaltino Morais, mayor of Oeiras, expresses his frustration with the national infrastructure agency by threatening to bring a goat to graze on the Marginal road.
Portugal needed a plan like the PTRR, not just because of the storms in January and February, but because the country has accumulated structural weaknesses in water, energy, communications, forestry, civil protection, critical infrastructure, and the State's response capacity over decades of underinvestment and a growing erosion of public capital, as detailed in this...
Throughout the week, António José Seguro will travel through the central region of the country to show what has and has not been done to resolve the problems caused by the train of storms that destroyed homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Rita Dinis calls this Open Presidency an “active surveillance,” and Paulo Baldaia spoke with the Expresso reporter accompanying the Head of State. This Tuesday, the Prime Minister will go to Belém for the usual Tuesday meeting with the President.
The local authority continues to report “critical situations” regarding the road surface. It states that these may affect “safety standards” and is calling for a “comprehensive corrective intervention”.
The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, stopped this Monday, April 6, to speak with about fifty people demanding the reopening of a section of the N2 national road in Pedrógão Pequeno, promising to raise the matter at his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. The President, who is beginning his first 'Open Presidency' tour to assess the impact of recent storms, was met by citizens holding a banner stating that the road is vital for their survival. The tour, which runs until April 10, covers four districts affected by floods and infrastructure damage, aiming to witness the impact of the severe weather firsthand and ensure the state's presence in vulnerable areas.
Road closures, landslides, and flooding: municipalities in the Coimbra region, lacking the financial capacity to repair the damage, intend to present the situation to António José Seguro during the open presidency.
Still recovering from the storms, Leiria has PRR projects that need to be rescheduled.
A study from the University of Minho warns that half of municipal school buildings require urgent intervention. The government has allocated funds for 387, with 1.55 billion euros available until the end of the decade.
The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, visited Alcácer do Sal this morning to check on-site the status of the recovery works following the bad weather that hit the municipality in February.
The Central region has already done its homework and identified the various areas that “are on the verge of having to” withdraw projects from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) funding, because they will not be ready in time: schools, health centres, housing, business location areas and social equipment from private social solidarity institutions (IPSS), it was revealed...
Home News Construction of new Lisbon Airport delayed Construction of new Lisbon Airport delayed The Luís de Camões Airport was supposed to be completed in 2034, but the Government says the completion date has been pushed back to 2037. By Bruno G.
The government explains that it is still awaiting the delivery of the designs from Mota Engil, which had to be updated to include an anti-seismic system.
Jorge Vala, president of the Leiria Region Intermunicipal Community, says that public buildings and spaces remain unrecovered. The minister promised updates by the end of the month.
