In the country of endless highways and millions of PPP’s, national roads are doomed to abandonment. And it's not by the users, it's by the competent authorities. One of them is Estrada Nacional 120.
Another weekend, another escape. It's still Thursday and I'm just thinking about seeing Lisbon from behind. My choices, for these little weekend getaways, usually have Grândola, Vendas Novas and Évora as destinations. Azimuth, Alentejo! Damn, still missing…
Other regions forgive me, it's just my roots speaking louder. These are trips I take with a smile on my face and… back pain. The state of Estrada Nacional 120, on the stretch between Alcácer do Sal and Grândola, is regrettable.
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These are the roots that extend to the carriageway, the holes that look like the foundations of a building, the bad marking that seems to have been made by a Formula 1 driver, inviting overtaking at the limit of visibility, etc. A horror, especially for those who do not know. A patchwork quilt that some insist on calling the national road, and which every year claims too many lives, not only from those who stay there, but also from those who stay here, living in the absence of those from whom Estrada Nacional 120 stole their lives.
On the way back, the path goes in the opposite direction. But before entering the Marateca highway, I go straight along Nacional 10, salivating to the Mecca of fried cuttlefish, Setúbal. That's when I realize that the administration of E.P – Estradas de Portugal S.A must not use a car. Maybe by helicopter, I don't know…
An abandoned vehicle has been lying on the side of the road for months. I have been slowly watching the public dismantling of the vehicle. Every month, with a few fewer pieces, and now without any pieces. All that's left is the chassis. Symptomatic of the attention that responsible authorities pay to this path…
When I go to Vendas Novas or Évora, the road is different but the scenery is the same. The condition of the pavement on Estrada Nacional 4 (Montijo/Pegões) is reminiscent of the face of a teenager attacked without pity or pity by acne: only holes and bumps. Getting to Pegões crossings is a torment for men and machines. Along the way, it is possible to give a ride to one or another herniated disc, to flat a tire or even not to arrive...
Those who don't know the N4, know that it is “only” the busiest national road in the Alentejo. With a daily flow of thousands of vehicles. A strange country for us, isn't it? Who got into debt to the roots of their hair to build highways that no one uses, and voted to abandon roads that are used by everyone.
Unfortunately, I believe this scenario repeats itself from the north to the south of the country. For this walk, the country that this week won the distinction for the best road in the world, risks also winning the distinction for the worst road in the world. There is no shortage of candidates, including those from Estrada Nacional 120… there is no shortage of candidates who take responsibility.
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Featured image: C.M. de Grândola / Secondary images: Facebook da Petition by EN 120