After five years of construction, the project to build toll-free roads on São Miguel was concluded today with the opening to traffic of Água d'Alto Bypass - South Axis. The concession period will be in effect for the next 25 years.

The toll-free road project that comprises the South, North-South and Nordeste Axes "is the largest public works project ever undertaken in the Azores and is expected to bring many benefits to the island of São Miguel in terms of accessibility, safety and modernity. It will also reduce physical, psychological and economic barriers In fact, this project will also bring new opportunities for trade, industry and the mobility of people," said the Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures.

José Contente spoke at the opening ceremony of the last road section in Vila Franca do Campo, encouraging all São Miguel islanders to visit all villages of São Miguel, which are now less than an hour from Ponta Delgada. "We have noticed an increasing mobility to Nordeste as well as the satisfaction of all those who travel to this municipality which now has new accessibilities.

The Regional Secretary recalled that the work "was full of misunderstandings, rumours, jealousy and even anonymous complaints lodged to the European Community." The government official also stressed that while the government worked and managed to shorten distances, the opposition has maintained a zigzag path full of contradictions during the course of the works, "which will eventually be forgotten by history."

Regarding the construction sector, José Contente defended that regional companies were involved in this work and that the current difficulties in the sector are not related to this or any other public work, but to the decline in private investment. "But there are other factors that the PSD leader should be acquainted with, such as the difficult situations of some companies due to the lack of payment of some municipalities, like Ponta Delgada, which carried works it could not afford to."

In a historical day of celebration, the Regional Secretary congratulated Euroscut Açores and its employees for the work done, adding that the company, recently listed as one of the 10 top in the Azores, has to meet social responsibilities "so that its future behaviour be may be different in some situations," particularly in restoring access to pastures, municipal and rural roads under the terms of concession contract.

The Government of the Azores, stated José Contente, is pleased to put at the service of citizens and businesspeople on São Miguel a work that has been designed towards the future and that will boost the island's economy and security, opening new horizons in all areas.

"Most people recognise the great courage of the governments chaired by Carlos César because they have decided to move ahead with this extraordinary work that was well planned and implemented, meeting all safety parameters and environmental requirements in addition to being financially safeguarded," the Regional Secretary said, stressing that the five years of sacrifice and constraints for drivers is now rewarded.