The underground metamorphosis and mobility works in Coimbra will continue at the maximum possible pace, to which all entities involved are committed, now that the positive results of these interventions are beginning to be seen.
Metro Mondego and Coimbra City Council inform that, from Monday, June 16th, Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo will enter a new phase of urban transformation with the advancement of works on the urban section of the Metrobus, between Avenida Aeminium and the Hospital Pediátrico, promoted by Infraestruturas de Portugal. At the same time, the connection from Rua Pedro Monteiro to Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo, heading towards Largo de Celas, will be reopened.
This stage, which also includes the renovation of infrastructure in the basement of Águas de Coimbra, involves the temporary reorganization of traffic, essential to continue a project that will extraordinarily improve the city's mobility, within a broader vision of a modern, efficient, ecological and people-centered city.
In a sense of responsibility and efficiency, it was decided to proceed with the complete cutting of the road, making it possible to open two work fronts simultaneously, which will reduce the work execution period from at least 20 to 15 months, minimizing intervention time and inconvenience for residents and traders.
Therefore, to access Praça da República to Largo de Cruz de Celas, drivers must use the following two road alternatives:
• Rua Tenente Valadim - Rua Antero de Quental (which will now have two directions) - Rua Augusta (which will maintain two traffic directions);
• Rua Oliveira Matos – Rua Castro Matoso – Rua de Tomar – Rua Pedro Monteiro – Rua Augusto Rocha.
In addition, local access will be guaranteed via the following streets:
• Rua do Instituto Maternal: access to the car park of the Casa Municipal da Cultura and Instituto Português da Juventude; picking up and dropping off people from Campo de Santa Cruz, Day Care or Maternity.
• Rua João de Deus: access to garages on Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo.
The current SMTUC stop in the upward direction on Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo will be relocated to the existing stop on Rua Augusto Rocha, with buses running along Rua Pedro Monteiro.
The stop currently located in the descending direction of Rua Augusta, will be relocated to Rua Gomes Freire, with SMTUC buses moving from Largo Cruz de Celas to that street, continuing along Avenida Dom Afonso Henriques towards Arcos do Jardim.
During the entire conditioning period, pedestrian circulation will always be ensured, as well as access for emergency vehicles and local access to the Casa da Cultura car parks and the garages on Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo.
The intervention on Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo represents much more than the construction of a dedicated Metrobus channel. It is the implementation of a large-scale public investment, which includes the renewal of water and sanitation networks, complete repaving, the modernization of public lighting and the reorganization of signage and road safety and the renovation of sidewalks. It is a work that prepares Coimbra for the challenges of the coming decades, investing in a safer, more inclusive public space adapted to the new demands of urban mobility.
Metro Mondego appeals to the population for understanding of the temporary constraints that this phase may cause, reaffirming that these works are contributing to the modernization and functionality of the city. To facilitate adaptation to this new phase of work and minimize possible impacts on circulation, it is recommended to use navigation applications such as Waze or Google Maps. These platforms already include updated information about temporary changes, allowing drivers to choose the most appropriate routes in real time.
