Rolling stairs are now fully operational in Miragaia thus supporting local residents

Slope friendly stairs or rolling stairs are now operational in the Miragaia area, in Porto. The work to establish rolling stairs in that area of the Invicta was to lessen the journey of commuting from the city's higher and lower levels. 

The mechanised connection at the Escadas do Monte dos Judeus, in Miragaia, is fully operational and Mayor of Porto Rui Moreira visited the site, accompanied by his Councillor for Transports, Cristina Pimentel, where they had the opportunity to talk with local residents, who were pleased as they no longer have to cope with the effort of climbing the slope stairs.

The works started in May 2019 and started operating on 27th June. The roller stairs operate daily, from 8am to 9pm. Besides the implementation of this mechanised stairs, the works also included new shore ramps, and the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructures and pavement.

Alongside the roller stairs, the existing stairs are also in place, despite the fact that they had to be removed so that the work could be completed; everything was put in place, according to the stairs levels.

This work is part of a network strategy to develop an interconnected system of pedestrian pathways that are supported by mechanised connections, implemented in fragmented terrain in the centre of Porto; also, this work is meant to connect Miragaia and Cordoaria, and to facilitate the access of the local residents to the Hospital of Santo António and other equipment in the higher level of the city.

The construction "Pedestrian Ways Mechanised Connections - Miragaia" éis the outcome of a project first presented in 2015 by Rui Moreira, which was based in a study that identified two other possible areas to connect different levels in the city, namely in the Jardim das Virtudes and in the Gardens of Palácio de Cristal.

These will be, in fact, the next endeavours and will be furnished with mechanised connections, thus solving the lack of connection between the higher and the lower level of the city.

The work, which was subject to public tender, was undertaken by the company Atlântinivel and managed by the municipal company GO Porto - Gestão e Obras do Porto, in an investment of circa 677,2 mil euros.