Paulo Novais / Lusa
Flow of the Mondego River, February 11, 2026
The dam at Ponte dos Casais, on the Mondego River, has failed, and there is a risk of collapse. Traffic on the A1 is closed in both directions between the Coimbra North and Coimbra South interchanges.
A right bank of the Mondego Riverin Casais, Coimbra, broke out this afternoon, next to the viaduct of the A1 motorway, the president of the Vale do Mondego Farmers Association told the Lusa agency, João Grilo.
The farmer, who has a property close to the site, was inspecting the banks when that part of the Mondego’s main channel burst, at 17:45.
According to the agricultural businessman, there is the danger of new bursting also on the right bank, next to the Coimbra Equestrian Center, further upstream.
Armindo Valentealso an agricultural businessman and vice-president of the Association of Beneficiaries of the Mondego Hydroagricultural Work, confirmed the bursting of the right dike of the main Mondego channel, and says he has watched the water rising the right bank of the river into the adjacent irrigation canal.
“I was up there, on the highway, because I was informed that the water was rising from inside the Mondego into the irrigation canal. I left there and, not even five minutes later, the dike gave way under the highway”, he explained, quoted by .
According to the farmer, the water that is coming out of the Mondego main channel is flood the fields of the São Martinho do Bispo irrigation blockon the right bank, in the municipality of Coimbra.
A Civil Protection source confirmed to Lusa that a dike rupture occurred in Casais, on the right bank of the Mondego, next to the motorway bridge, at kilometer 191.
O Traffic on the A1 motorway is blocked between the Coimbra North and Coimbra South junction, in both directions, due to the bursting of a dike on the Mondego River, Brisa confirmed in a statement.
The highway concessionaire detailed that the road closure is located between the kilometers 198 and 189“in both directions, due to an incident”.
Government commits to review hydrographic work
The Prime Minister, Luis Montenegrocommitted this Wednesday to reviewing the Mondego hydrographic work, a system that is “many years old” and that “needs to be updated”.
During a visit to the Coimbra region, affected by the floods, Montenegro reiterated the Government’s desire to move forward with the construction of the Girabolhos dam and, at the same time, made a commitment to review the Mondego hydrographic work.
“It is a system that is many years old and that needs to be updated even in light of the challenges that are now emerging in a way that we have not had until now”, stated the Prime Minister.
According to Luís Montenegro, the Government will proceed with a review of the work based on “evaluation that is made with this episode which is an extreme episode.”
“We have a hydraulic system here that dates back to the 70swhich is showing, despite everything, resistance and resilience, but it is clear that it is not enough and that, therefore, it needs, for the future, to have contingency solutions”, he noted.
In a visit with members of the Government, mayors and the President of the Republic, Luís Montenegro highlighted that, for this review, it will be necessary the “effort of local authorities and academia to try to have astructural solution”.
According to the Prime Minister, his executive wants to provide the hydrographic work with a “greater ability to withstand such extreme adversities” like those that are being experienced at the moment.
“Right now we have an emerging situation and that’s what we have to manage, that’s what we’re doing here”, highlighted Montenegro, who highlighted the cooperation work carried out between entities and guardianships of his executive, to ensure that a response is given to the situation.
