We're talking about millions of euros in public money
On the seismically restless island of Terceira, a road severed by earthquake and landslide in January 2024 remains closed nearly a year later, testing the patience of residents, commerce, and political opposition alike. The regional government committed €2.3 million and a 180-day timeline to stabilize the hillside connecting the parishes of Raminho and Serreta — yet the Chega party, visiting the stalled site during parliamentary sessions on the island, contends that promise is slipping. Where geology offers no apology for disruption, governance is expected to offer accountability, and that accountability is now in question.
- A 4.5-magnitude earthquake in January 2024 triggered a landslide that has kept a vital inter-parish road closed for nearly a year, stranding residents and strangling local commerce.
- The regional government awarded a €2.3M slope stabilization contract with a 180-day execution window, but Chega deputies standing at the site say those deadlines are not being honored.
- Chega's frustration carries a pointed irony: the party had proposed a cheaper bypass route from the start, and now argues the government is effectively doing the same work at far greater public expense.
- Criticism has spread well beyond one party — municipal authorities, business sectors, and the Terceira Island Council have all joined the chorus demanding answers.
- With construction ongoing but completion uncertain, the road has become a referendum on whether the government can translate its February commitments into timely action.
During parliamentary sessions held on Terceira island, Chega deputies visited a construction site that has come to embody the frustrations of stalled infrastructure in the Azores. The road linking the parishes of Raminho and Serreta in Angra do Heroísmo has been closed since January 14, 2024, when a 4.5-magnitude earthquake — part of a seismic and volcanic crisis gripping the island since June 2022 — triggered a landslide that destabilized the hillside. Terceira, sitting in one of Europe's most geologically active zones, offered no warning and no apology.
In February, the regional government announced a €2.3 million contract to permanently resolve the instability across a 500-meter stretch, through new drainage infrastructure, protective barriers, and a reinforced retaining wall — all within a 180-day window. The scope was ambitious; the timeline, firm on paper.
But Chega parliamentarian Francisco Lima, standing at the site, made clear those timelines are not being met. His frustration carried an edge of vindication: Chega had originally advocated for a simpler parallel bypass route that would have avoided the hillside entirely. The government chose the costlier stabilization approach instead. "In practice, they're doing what Chega proposed, but at much higher cost," Lima said. The party's position is now pragmatic — the decision is made, so the government must accelerate and deliver.
The delay has crystallized broader discontent. Political parties across the spectrum, municipal governments, business owners, and the Terceira Island Council have all voiced criticism. For the people who live and work between these two parishes, the closure is not merely inconvenient — it is a year of detours, economic disruption, and unanswered questions. The earthquake was beyond anyone's control. The pace of repair is not.
On the second day of parliamentary sessions unfolding on Terceira island, lawmakers from the Chega party visited a construction site that has become a symbol of stalled infrastructure on the Azores. The road connecting the parishes of Raminho and Serreta in Angra do Heroísmo municipality has been closed to traffic since January 14, 2024—nearly a year now—after a 4.5-magnitude earthquake triggered a landslide that destabilized the hillside. The tremor was part of a broader seismic and volcanic crisis that has gripped the island since June 2022, a reminder that Terceira sits in one of Europe's most geologically restless zones.
In February, the regional government announced it had contracted the slope stabilization work for 2.3 million euros, including tax. The project spans 500 meters and was designed to permanently resolve the instability through a new drainage system, protective barriers, and a reinforced support wall at the base of the slope. The contract specified a 180-day execution window—roughly six months from the time of announcement. The work would include reshaping the excavated slope with stepped terraces, installing the protective infrastructure, implementing the drainage network, and repaving the affected stretch of road.
But as Chega deputies stood at the site during their island tour, the party issued a statement making clear that those timelines are not being met. Francisco Lima, a Chega parliamentarian, acknowledged the complexity of the work but argued the regional government has a responsibility to taxpayers to stick to its schedule. "We're talking about millions of euros in public money," he said. The party has filed multiple formal requests about the road and even proposed an alternative solution—a parallel bypass route that would have left the hillside untouched and avoided the current circulation restrictions.
Lima's frustration carried an edge of vindication. Chega had advocated for that parallel route from the start, he noted, but the government chose the more expensive slope stabilization approach instead. "In practice, they're doing what Chega proposed, but at much higher cost," he said. The party's position now is pragmatic: the decision has been made, the work is underway, so the government must accelerate it and meet its deadlines. People need to move between these two parishes. The road cannot remain closed indefinitely.
The delay has become a focal point for broader frustration. Political parties across the spectrum, municipal authorities, business owners, and the Terceira Island Council have all voiced criticism. For residents and commerce dependent on that connection, the closure represents not just inconvenience but economic disruption—a year of detours, restricted access, and uncertainty about when normal movement will resume. The road sits at the intersection of geology and governance: the earthquake was beyond anyone's control, but the pace of repair is not. As construction continues on the hillside, the question hanging over Terceira is whether the government can now deliver on the promise it made in February, or whether this project, like the seismic crisis itself, will stretch on indefinitely.
Citações Notáveis
We understand this is complex work, but the regional government must ensure deadlines are met, because we're talking about millions of euros in public money.— Francisco Lima, Chega parliamentarian
The solution we proposed was to build a parallel alternative road. In practice, they're doing what Chega defended, but at much higher cost. Since they've chosen this path, at least they must meet the timelines so people can move between the two parishes.— Francisco Lima, Chega parliamentarian
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a single closed road on a small island warrant this level of political attention?
Because it's not really about the road. It's about a community cut off for nearly a year, and about whether the government can execute on its own timeline when millions in public money are at stake. When people can't move freely between two parishes, everything breaks—commerce, daily life, trust.
Chega proposed an alternative solution. Why didn't the government take it?
That's the question Chega keeps asking. They wanted a parallel bypass that would have been cheaper and faster. The government chose to stabilize the slope itself instead—more expensive, more complex, but perhaps more permanent. Once that choice was made, though, Chega shifted from opposition to accountability: if you're spending the money, at least finish on time.
Is this a case of poor project management, or is the work genuinely harder than expected?
Probably both. The earthquake was real, the damage was real, and slope stabilization in an active seismic zone is genuinely complex. But the government set a 180-day deadline and announced it publicly. When that deadline passes without explanation, people lose confidence—not just in the project, but in the government's ability to plan and deliver.
What happens if the work continues to slip?
The criticism will only deepen. You already have multiple parties, municipalities, and business groups watching. The longer the road stays closed, the more the economic and social cost compounds. And politically, it becomes a symbol of ineffectiveness at a time when the island is still dealing with ongoing seismic activity.
Does the seismic crisis make this more complicated?
Absolutely. The island has been in a state of geological unrest since 2022. That context makes people more anxious about infrastructure, more aware of vulnerability. A closed road isn't just an inconvenience—it's a reminder that the ground itself is unstable. Getting it fixed quickly becomes a matter of public confidence.