Penafiel. City Council to intervene in the Bustelo Aqueduct.

The Penafiel City Council will proceed with an "emergency intervention" on the Bustelo Aqueduct after the structure suffered a collapse, a source from the municipality in the Porto district revealed to Lusa on Thursday.

“On the day of the collapse, the Municipal Civil Protection services were activated, proceeding with the removal of the stones that fell onto the public road and marking the area, ensuring safety conditions in the surrounding space. The Municipality has already gathered the competent technical services and will proceed with an intervention in order to stabilize the structure and prevent the situation from worsening,” the municipality responded to Lusa, without specifying on which day the collapse occurred.

The "state of disrepair" of this aqueduct, classified as a Property of Public Interest, was denounced on Wednesday by the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party) , which addressed a question to the Government, specifically the Ministry of Culture, regarding the planned repair, conservation, and enhancement measures.

According to the local authority, which recalled that the aqueduct is private property "as it is a classified asset," the IP Cultural Heritage Institute and the Culture unit of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission were notified "about the emergency intervention that will be carried out, ensuring that all work is carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the supervisory authority."

Speaking to Lusa, the municipality of Penafiel assured that it “will continue to closely monitor the situation” and that it is “committed to safeguarding security conditions and preserving heritage.”

PCP MP Alfredo Maia recalled that in July 2024 he had already denounced the state of degradation and abandonment of that aqueduct, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, and that the Government had not safeguarded the security and preservation of the heritage.

“Despite the warnings, nothing has been done by the Government. Due to the lack of maintenance and removal of vegetation that grows there, the degradation of several arches and pillars is visible, and they have been in a state of collapse for years,” he stressed.