Lisbon, July 22, 2025 (Lusa) - Workers completed the first tunnel of the Lisbon General Drainage Plan (PGDL), with a length of five kilometres, on Tuesday, connecting Campolide to Santa Apolónia, to prevent flooding and reuse rainwater.

The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, and the European Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and the Circular Economy, Jéssica Roswall, marked the completion of the first of two tunnels in the Lisbon General Drainage Plan early this afternoon at a ceremony.

“Today is a very happy day for Lisbon. It is a historic day because this is the largest project, the largest in Europe. This project stands alone in continental Europe,” said the mayor.

The project involves the completion of a tunnel, approximately five kilometres long, which began construction in December 2023 and connects the Campolide area to Santa Apolónia.

“We are talking about a tunnel that starts in Campolide and runs 40 to 70 metres below ground, passing under Avenida da Liberdade, Santa Marta Hospital and Almirante Reis, until it arrives here [Santa Apolónia],” said Carlos Moedas.

The mayor stressed that this project, in addition to protecting “the people of Lisbon” from flooding, “also prepares for the future in terms of climate change and water scarcity.

“We are going to save a lot of water here, because we are building this project not only to protect against flooding, but also (…) it will have a 17,000 cubic metre reservoir, where we can reuse rainwater,” he pointed out.

Accompanying the mayor of Lisbon, the minister for the environment also highlighted the importance of this project for the use and reuse of water, promoting efficiency.

“It is the largest project, as has already been said, in continental Europe and it is a project [in an area] that is precisely one of the priorities of our Ministry and the Government, which is water.”

For us, water is about quality and availability, about promoting efficiency and conservation,” said Maria Graça Carvalho.

European Commissioner Jéssica Roswall corroborated this intention and praised the Lisbon City Council’s actions.

“I would like to say that water resilience is one of the European Commission’s priorities. Projects like this are an example, because we need action. I am very impressed by this,” she said.

Once we complete this first tunnel, we will begin construction on a second tunnel connecting the Beato area to Chelas.

The parties expect completion by the end of 2026.

With a total investment of around €250 million, the Lisbon General Drainage Plan - first announced in 2006 and moving forward in 2015 under Fernando Medina as mayor - is considered an important project to tackle flooding in the capital, and major interventions, namely the construction of tunnels, began in 2023 under mayor Carlos Moedas.

The project has an investment of €79 million for 2025.

FAC/ADB // ADB.

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