Corredor Verde do Leça

First of three phases opened

The first phase of the Corredor Verde do Leça project was inaugurated, between the Moreira and Pedra bridges (including the connection to Picoutos), with a length of 6.9 km.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, the Mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Sagueiro, the Mayor of Maia, António Silva Tiago, the Mayor of Santo Tirso, Alberto Costa, the Mayor of Valongo, José Manuel Ribeiro, the President of the Municipal Assembly of Matosinhos, Palmira Macedo, the Councilor for the Environment of Matosinhos, Manuela Álvares, the Councilors António Correia Pinto and Vasco Pinho, the President of the Union of Parishes de Custóias, Leça do Balio and Guifões, Pedro Gonçalves, the President of the Union of the Parishes of Perafita, Lavra and Santa Cruz do Bispo, Lurdes Queirós, and the performance of the Coral dos Pequenos Cantores da Maia.

The Green Corridor of Leça, it should be remembered, is an environmental and mobility project, with a strong cultural, economic, tourist and social nature, which aims to enhance the landscape and environment of the Leça River and its banks.

Co-financed by the ERDF, through the community program Portugal 2020/Norte 2020, the project is being implemented in three phases, covering a total of 18 km intervened.

In addition to the requalification and revitalization of the banks of the Leça River and its surroundings, the project foresees the construction of a pedestrian and cycling route along its banks, creating an alternative mobility for daily travel, on foot and by bicycle, between the residential areas and business areas located in its surroundings.

The investment in the first phase was 7.2 million euros and included the construction of a cycle path and pedestrian paths, among other improvements, increasing the visibility of the Leça River and its sources of pollution, promoting greater contact with nature and new opportunities for mobility along the river.

This is followed by the second phase, which comprises the Moreira and Carro bridges, with a length of 6.1 km. With an execution period of 18 months, the project is budgeted at five million euros.

The third phase, between Ponte do Carro and the Port of Leixões/Foz do Rio Leça, with connections to the center of Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira, will have a length of 4.7 km.

The Leça River, which rises in Santo Tirso, at an altitude of 475 m, and flows into Matosinhos, has a length of about 46 kilometers. For several decades, it was considered one of the most polluted rivers in Europe.

In 2016, the four municipalities through which the river passes – Matosinhos, Maia, Valongo and Santo Tirso – joined forces and started working on the consolidation, strategy and definition of a plan for the Leça Corridor.

Established on May 31, 2021, the Association of Municipalities Corredor do Rio Leça is the first inter-municipal association in the country to have the objective of recovering a river, dedicating itself from now on to the management, execution and maintenance of the Strategic Plan for Recovery of the River Leça 2020/2030, with a total estimated budget of 28 million euros and using community funding.

Throughout the day, Parque das Varas hosted various activities for families. A walk guided by the architect Laura Roldão, author of the project, a bike ride, an initiation orienteering test, slide, inflatables, abseiling, pedal cars, fitness classes, workshops and environmental games.