Stabilisation and maritime protection works at Santa Iria Harbour to be awarded soon - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, announced today that the works contract for the redevelopment and maritime protection of the Santa Iria Harbour, on São Miguel Island, will be awarded soon.

Following the landslides in the area where the harbour is located, Berta Cabral stated that it "has been awaiting intervention for several years and, as such, been off-limits. Only the Regional Government's commitment over a year ago has led us to move from words to deeds."

"The works contract for the redevelopment and maritime protection of the Santa Iria Harbour should be awarded soon. We launched a first tender, for which two proposals were submitted, but were eventually rejected as they failed to comply with the specifications. Afterwards, our Department, through the Regional Directorate for Public Works, launched a new tender. It is now in the final stages of being awarded. We are now proceeding with the compulsory purchase of the land, after which it will be submitted to the Court of Auditors for approval," she said.

According to Berta Cabral, the work is expected to begin in the second half of this year.

It should be noted that this works contract represents an overall investment of €5,626,000.00 (VAT included). It is aimed at the redevelopment and maritime protection of this harbour located in the parish of Ribeirinha, municipality of Ribeira Grande.

This work, she added, "is intended to promote safety conditions in the Santa Iria Harbour area by stabilising the cliffs adjacent to the regional access road to the harbour, mitigating the geotechnical risk to people and property, both on the access road to the harbour and in the sunbathing area, through the installation of support elements adapted to the local environmental exposure and with low visual impact."

In addition, this work "aims to guarantee coastal protection against the direct action of sea waves, both in the northern and southern sectors of the infrastructure, while safeguarding and preserving the built heritage of the Port of Santa Iria," she said. 

The intervention planned for the harbour consists of clearing and blasting the cliffs to implement a stabilisation solution based on nailing and metal mesh, covering an area of about 27,000m2, as well as the construction of rainwater drainage systems.

Also planned is the upgrading of the access road to the harbour, namely paving works, the construction of walls and placement of signs, and the 
redevelopment of the port, including the preservation of the built heritage.

"Ensuring coastal protection against the direct action of sea waves, both in the northern and southern sectors of the infrastructure, and safeguarding and preserving the heritage built in the Santa Iria Harbour are essential aspects in this large-scale project," she concluded, as she lamented the landslides that occurred at the site.