Lisbon drainage works halted by archaeological finds in Chelas

The Left Bloc (BE) has demanded clarifications from Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas regarding the suspension of works on a tunnel within the Lisbon General Drainage Plan (PGDL) in the Chelas area. The project has been halted since May due to the discovery of archaeological remains, which now require manual excavation up to 20 meters deep.

Mayor Moedas stated that the delay is costing taxpayers approximately 15,000 euros per day, with total costs exceeding 2 million euros. He has advocated for changes to archaeological heritage protection legislation to prevent such delays.

In response, the Archaeology Workers Union (Starq) accused the Mayor of dishonesty for blaming archaeologists for the delays. The union emphasized that the archaeological sensitivity of the Chelas area was known in advance and that such interventions are a standard part of the drainage plan's management.