Douro Inland Waterway 2020 - 75 million investment will "put the Douro running 24 hours a day."
The European Union has approved the reimbursement of half of the funds required to complete, within one year, the first phase of the project "Douro's Inland Waterway in 2020", which will also cover the freight.
The Port Authority - Administration of Douro Ports, Leixões and Viana do Castelo presented this Thursday, July 23, an investment project valued at EUR 75 million to make navigable the approximately 220 kilometers from the Douro River from the mouth to Barca d'Alva.
Last year, more than half a million passengers sailed the waters of the Douro.
"We have to walk in the short term, for safe navigation with communications along the canal and strong formation of all agents who work there. We want to put the river running 24 hours a day," said the president of the Port Authority, Brogueira Dias, explaining that several problems in terms of signaling, communications or locks - these have to be solved together with EDP - "do not allow it now."
The first phase of the project, worth 4.7 million euros, is about to start after being confirmed, July 10th, the reimbursement (51%) of the European Union funds under the project "Bridging Europe".
The Port Authority estimates that by the end of the first half of 2016 it will have completed this phase, which will include the hydrographic and topographic surveys, environmental studies to fix the layout and preparation of an emergency plan.
The second phase, which will absorb the bulk of investment (close to € 70 million) will be dedicated to the operation of a system involving traffic control, weather control, intermodal management and port management, involving changes to the navigation channel and the modernization of communications. Two sections of the river, closer to the mouth of the river Tua and Corgo river, need to be corrected to improve the security situation.
Increasing tourists and goods.
In a presentation made on board a ship built in 2005 in the shipyards of Viana do Castelo, Brogueira Dias pointed out that this is one of two waterways in the Iberian Peninsula, along Guadalquivir, but it can have twice the length of Spanish via .
On the same day that it will be inaugurated the new terminal of the Port for cruises, the manager stressed that the new infrastructure has a specific dock for ships that can dock and make the river link, can then be "used for the Port of Leixões, in conjunction with the Fairway of the Douro. "
The Secretary of State for Tourism said that "the Douro is one of the tourist activities in the country, which government officials are looking for" and that the Government had "an obligation to create conditions for improving the tourist experience and improve safety".
"It is our obligation to do this to double the number of passengers. (...) The investments we make have to be a response to demand. Here the demand is there and can be increased," said Adolfo Mesquita Nunes.
However, this project "Douro Inland Waterway in 2020" to be achieved by the end of the decade,
The focus is on the development of the navigation in the Douro river, aiming at proceeding to the strategy update concerning the development of the Douro waterway with special focus in improving its utilization and exploitation, improving socio-economic aspects, namely in its particular and more traditional functions – passengers and goods transportation and Hydroelectric power production, and contributing to the role improvement as a hub region with high potential for tourism as a pole both at regional, national and international level.
The key stakeholders were consulted to gather their views, opinions and expertise, and from their point of views, especially from the one presented by the riverine municipalities, it became clear the need to review the adopted classification for the port facilities dedicated to the tourism activities.
The reasoning for this is due to the recent evolution of the fleet dedicated to that business segment. Port facilities were ranked according to their capacity to receive vessels of their class.
Three navigation categories are presented:
- Touristic - Maritime,
- Recreational Boating, and,
- Goods Transportation.
The Touristic-Maritime is presently the leading activity developed within Douro waterway, followed by the Goods Transportation activity and the Recreational Boating.
