Lagos council are cutting it fine as it announced today that work on the access stairway to its famous Dona Ana beach will start and finish this week.
The main access to Praia da Dona Ana in Lagos is by a wooden staircase which was all but destroyed by the sea in the February storms. The mayor said today that the repairs would be finished in time for the Easter rush, just days away.
"The access is being rebuilt and it is expected that the work will be completed before Easter, to allow access to the beach," said an unconvincing Joaquina Matos, mayor of Lagos.
The beach has been closed since the storms due to the dangerous state of the access stairway and according to the mayor, weather conditions in recent weeks have "prevented the reconstruction work."
"Given the importance of this beach to the area's appeal, it is essential to do this work as quickly as possible in time to receive the many tourists expected during the Easter season," the mayor stressed.
Dona Ana is one of the Algarve's beaches where there is risk to users and the delay to essential remedial work has dragged on for years.
There was a €2 million plan in 1999 with a contract to widen and make safe the cliffs above the beach. This work was started but halted a few days into the project due to a ‘technical error.’
Five years later, the mayor said this work will recommence after the summer season and will be overseen by the Portuguese Environment Agency.
The mayor admits that the safety of beach users "continues to be a concern," but assures everyone that will listen that "areas that are less secure will be properly marked. I think and hope people will respect all the warnings."
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