The Caniço Interchange, in Madeira, is expected to be completed in October, after an intervention that the Regional Government describes as "unprecedented" in Portugal, with approximately 30 million euros invested in the road network of Santa Cruz. However, for those who cross that point daily, the word that best describes the work is not "unprecedented," but rather endless.
The intervention dragged on for years, in a sequence of advances and setbacks that are difficult to justify. Lanes that opened and then closed again, detours that changed weekly, and adjustments that appeared as problems arose. The Caniço is one of the fastest-growing areas in Madeira, with thousands of people depending on that connection to get to work, take their children to school, or access healthcare.
The article questions how the work was conducted and presented. The description as an "unprecedented achievement" ignores the real experience of those who went through there for years. The two roundabouts, the widening of the deck, and a second lane at the exit are necessary improvements, but the article asks why they were not part of the initial project.
The author concludes that a well-planned public work should not require so many corrections along the way, arguing that rigorous studies, complete designs before the start, and adequate oversight are needed. They call for future works in the Region to be carried out with better planning and respect for the time citizens lose in traffic.
