The Government decided to extend the exemption from tolls on several motorways located in areas declared in a state of calamity due to the passage of Depression Kristin. The measure, which had already been announced the previous week, will now remain in force until next Sunday, February 15th.
The decision aims to guarantee mobility in the regions most affected by the effects of bad weather, allowing circulation without additional costs on certain road sections throughout the period in which the state of calamity decreed by the Executive is in force.
According to the ECO news portal, the extension of the exemption results from a decision taken last Monday, February 9, and follows the calendar of the state of calamity in force in the areas affected by Depression Kristin. According to the same source, the exemption will now be applied until midnight on February 15th, ensuring that the entire period covered by the calamity declaration is covered by the exceptional measure.
Motorways covered by the measure
The publication states that the decision applies to specific sections of the A8, A17, A14 and A19 motorways, whenever traffic originates or ends at certain junctions defined by the Government. He adds that, in the case of the A8, the exemption applies between the Valado de Frades junction and the Leiria Nascente junction, while on the A17 it covers the route between the A8 junction and the Mira junction.
The same source states that, on the A14, the exemption covers the section between Santa Eulália and the Ança junction, and on the A19 it applies between the Azoia junction and the São Jorge junction. Traffic that only crosses these highways, without having an origin or destination at the identified interchanges, does not benefit from the exemption, with normal toll collection remaining in these cases.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, cited by the same source, “this is an initiative in conjunction with the concessionaires and sub-concessionaires Brisa, Brisal, Autoestradas do Atlântico and IP”.
The office supervised by Miguel Pinto Luz adds that the decision “came in line with the remaining initiatives to support the areas most affected by the recent storms, with a view to supporting mobility in the aforementioned regions”.
Continuity of support measures
According to , this extension comes as a complement to a broader set of measures adopted by the Government to mitigate the impacts caused by the Kristin depression on infrastructure and the daily lives of populations.
Maintaining the toll exemption aims to facilitate essential travel, reduce costs for residents and local businesses and guarantee minimum circulation conditions during a period marked by meteorological and operational constraints.
Also read:
