The Chamber of Coimbra today consigned for more than 4.8 million euros the requalification of Parque Manuel Braga, on the right bank of the Mondego River, in the middle of the urban area.
The intervention, which includes “the stabilization of the walls of the riverside along its entire length” and the arboreal heritage, aims at “improving the state of conservation” of one of the most emblematic gardens in the city which, recognizes the municipality, “presents some signs of wear ”.
Public garden characteristic of the early 20th century, designed by engineer Jorge Lucena and landscaper Jacintho de Matos, Parque Manuel Braga extends along the river, between Largo da Portagem, in the historic center of the city, and Parque Verde from Mondego.
The requalification of this space, which is part of the Urban Regeneration Action Plan of the Strategic Urban Development Plan of Coimbra, has the support of community funds, through the European Regional Development Fund, following the application submitted by the municipality in 2018, the Centro 2020 operational program.
This is yet another contribution by the municipality to foster the relationship between Coimbra and Mondego, said to the agency Lusa, on the sidelines of the formalization session of the consignment of the work, the mayor, Manuel Machado, stressing that it is “a strategic objective” of the current city council executive “bringing the city closer to the river”.
The park’s requalification operation “is linked to other interventions”, in the global amount of around 26 million euros, which the municipality has promoted, such as the stabilization of the Mondego’s right bank or the silting up of the river (this has already been concluded).
Among the works concluded to “foster the relationship between the city and the riverside area” and to “boost the valorization of the Mondego River”, a reference for the new bridge on the river beach of Palheiros and Zorro, for the pedestrian and cycle crossing to the Açude-Ponte or for the requalification of Praça das Cortes and Avenida João das Rules (these on the left bank), he exemplified.
“In progress or in an advanced stage of procedures” are, among other operations, the expansion and requalification of the restoration buildings of Parque Verde do Mondego, the requalification of public space on the right bank of the river between the Ponte de Santa Clara and the Açude- He added the bridge and the bike path that will connect Coimbra B station to Vale das Flores and Portela.
The intervention in Parque Manuel Braga, which is expected to be completed in a little more than 13 months, is only advancing now, since the respective process has, since June 2019, been awaiting a court decision, following a challenging action.
After the decision of the North Central Administrative Court, the Chamber of Coimbra decided to “comply with and proceed with the procedure, canceling the award act, excluding the proposal” of a lower value (around 4,333 million euros), and now awarding the work to the company with the proposal for the value of 4.817 million euros.
The Manuel Braga Park rehabilitation project foresees the landscape requalification of the entire space with the replacement and planting of plant species, the stabilization of the river bank’s containment structures, the demolition of some buildings and the construction of sanitary facilities and a new kiosk, the recovery and requalification of pavements and urban furniture, the renovation of the drainage network and public and scenic lighting, the rehabilitation of the bandstand and the restoration of the statuary.
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