Carris will launch in the first quarter of 2027 an international public tender for the reconstruction of the Ascensor da Glória, in Lisbon. The announcement was made by the company's CEO, Rui Lopo, during a press conference at the Ordem dos Engenheiros, almost a year after the September 3, 2025 accident that killed 16 people. The inauguration of the new elevator is scheduled for 2029.
Rui Lopo highlighted that this is a new installation and not a reconstruction, emphasizing that the new equipment must be absolutely safe, while simultaneously respecting the identity and history of the site. Architect Ricardo Bak Gordon has been invited to join the working team on the specifications document, which will also include the requalification of Calçada da Glória, which runs from São Pedro de Alcântara street to Restauradores. The Ascensor da Glória area is a national monument.
Gonçalo Reis, vice-president of the Lisbon city council, added that they want a robust solution that follows the best global safety practices, that revitalizes public space, and that respects the personality of the elevator. Architect Bak Gordon intends to rehabilitate the Chafariz da Glória, from 1754, and the historic lighting, having highlighted that major accidents are opportunities to look to the future.
Neither the city council vice-president nor the Carris CEO disclosed project figures. The GPIAAF final report on the accident will not be completed in September, as planned, and is expected to be published by the end of the first quarter of 2027. Insurance company Fidelidade revealed it has assumed the reimbursement of approximately 2.3 million euros in expenses related to the accident, having already concluded compensation agreements with four families and with seven cases currently under negotiation. Carris also stated that it has terminated all contracts with MNTC, the company responsible for maintaining the elevator when the accident occurred.
