Coordinator of the Lisbon General Drainage Plan (PGDL), Engineer José Silva Ferreira was speaking to journalists during a visit, which was attended by the mayor, Fernando Medina, to the microtunnel between Avenida de Berlim and Infante D. Henrique, which is almost ready.
This work will be fully completed at the end of October and fully reopened to traffic in November.


This is the first storm drainage tunnel built in Lisbon, being 310 metres long, 1.2 metres in diameter and about nine metres deep, representing an investment of about €3 million.


The tunnel “can prevent the entire area of Parque das Nações from being flooded, should abnormal rainfall events happen.


“This is a reinforcement of the drainage capacity when extreme rainfall events occur. What we have done here is nothing more than to put one more collector, in parallel with the existing one, thus increasing capacity,” he added.


According to Fernando Medina, this “is a plan of great importance for the city”, since “with the phenomenon of climate change”, “the most frequent occurrence of extreme phenomena, i.e., floods of great intensity” is predicted.


The local authority will be launching the tender for the construction of the two large drainage tunnels between Santa Apolónia and Monsanto and between Chelas and Beato, worth €140 million.


The start of work is scheduled for the beginning of 2021, Ferreira said.