Caldas da Rainha’s North Entrance Works: From “End of 2025” to (Hopefully) End of March

If you drive into Caldas da Rainha from the EN8 (Estrada de Tornada), you already know this story: cones, diversions, lane closures – and a road that was supposed to be finished in December 2025, but is clearly still a construction site.

According to a recent report in Jornal das Caldas, the major upgrade of the North Entrance to Caldas da Rainha will now only be completed by the end of March 2026, with the municipality aiming for 28 March as the new target date.  

So what happened, and what exactly are we getting in return for more months of orange fencing and traffic delays?

What the project is about

The “Entrada Norte” works are part of a wider plan to modernise one of the main gateways into Caldas da Rainhaand give it a more functional, urban character.

The project covers the stretch of the EN8 on the northern approach to the city, including the area between the roundabout by McDonald’s and the zone near the former Subtil ceramics factory, with new roundabouts and re-organised junctions.  

According to the municipality and several regional outlets, the key goals are to:  

• Improve road safety and reduce speeds on what has been a fast, busy access road
• Create better pedestrian conditions, with wider pavements
• Add a cycle lane along this axis
• Upgrade underground infrastructure networks (water, sewage, low-voltage electricity, street lighting and telecoms)
• Give the entrance a more coherent urban image, with trees, planting beds and a clearer layout

The total investment is around €2 million, with just over €1.11 million co-financed by the Centro 2030 programmethrough the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).  

The works have been split into two phases, with the first phase contracted to Submerci and the second to a consortium including Nuno Roque and Pragosa.  

December 2025 deadline… that didn’t happen

When the contract was signed in late 2024, the municipality spoke of a construction period of about one year, with completion “by the end of 2025”.  

In the latest article, vice-president Joaquim Beato confirms to Jornal das Caldas that this timetable has slipped. He now points to the end of March 2026 as the moment when:  

• the main works should be finished, and
• traffic on the EN8 / Estrada de Tornada can finally return to “normal circulation, without diversions”.

For anyone living in the northern freguesias or commuting daily via Estrada de Tornada, that extra three-month delay has been very visible – and very tangible – in everyday life.

Why the delay?

The municipality gives two main reasons for the slippage:  

1. Adverse weather conditions
   • The last months of 2025 were marked by very unstable weather in central Portugal, including the impacts of storm Kristin, with heavy rain and strong winds.
   • These conditions slowed down key parts of the work, especially those that depend on dry ground and stable conditions.
2. Additional / complementary works
   • During construction, extra interventions were considered necessary, particularly on underground networks and related infrastructure.
   • These “complementary works” have added complexity and time, even if the municipality says they shouldn’t radically change the overall contract value.

Beato stresses that while there are extra costs, these are mostly tied to the additional works and, for now, do not imply a major renegotiation of the contract with the contractor.  

What will change on the ground?

Although the project isn’t finished, the vice-president says the improvements are already visibly taking shape along the Entrada Norte.  

Some of the concrete changes described include:

• Two-lane carriageway
  • The road will keep two lanes, but the layout is designed to discourage high speeds and prioritise safety.
• New roundabout and turning rules
  • A new roundabout near the former Subtil factory will handle movements that previously required risky left turns.
  • Coming from the south, direct left turns will largely disappear; drivers will use the roundabout instead.
• Dedicated turning lane for a school access
  • At the junction with Rua Abílio Vicente Flores, which leads towards the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo basic school, a dedicated third lane will allow controlled left turns, reflecting how heavily that access is used by families.
• Priority changes to smooth traffic flow
  • Priority from Rua das Estufas has been removed at one point, to simplify and smooth the main flow of traffic on the EN8.
• Green areas and landscaping
  • The design includes planting in the centre of the new roundabout and in adjacent green pockets, as well as tree pits along the edge of the road.
  • The planting plan lists species like Liquidambar styraciflua, Cercis siliquastrum and various Phormiumvarieties, aiming to visually soften what has historically been a very “hard” entrance corridor.
• The “famous wall”
  • A new retaining wall along the road has generated local debate about its visual impact.
  • The municipality says the structural solution will stay, but that they’re now studying a possible artistic intervention to improve its appearance – potentially turning a controversial element into a visual feature.

In addition, there is talk of a concrete platform on the roundabout near the former Subtil site, reserved for a future decorative or artistic element – although nothing has been decided yet.  

Linked to a broader urban strategy

The North Entrance project is not an isolated case. It sits within a wider sustainable urban development strategy for Caldas da Rainha, supported by EU funds under the Centro 2030 programme.  

Other related projects already approved for funding include:

• a pedestrian overpass to improve safe crossing over the railway line, and
• the requalification of Rua da Estação to improve traffic flow and road safety near the train station.

In total, these interventions add up to several million euros in investment, with a significant share coming from FEDER.  

Daily disruption vs. long-term gain

Right now, if you ask drivers in and around Caldas how they feel about the Entrada Norte works, many will probably respond with a shrug or a sigh. The combination of:

• ongoing detours and lane closures,
• extra travel time to and from the A8, and
• a deadline that has already slipped by three months

…makes it easy to focus only on the inconvenience.

But in the medium and long term, this is exactly the kind of investment that tends to change how a city feels:

• safer, slower access road instead of a race track into town
• sidewalks and cycle lane that actually invite people to walk or bike
• modernised water, sewage and electrical networks under the surface
• a more coherent “front door” to Caldas da Rainha for visitors coming from the north

For now, though, the key date to watch is 28 March 2026. That’s when the municipality says the works on the EN8 should finally be finished, and traffic on the Estrada de Tornada can once again flow without diversions – this time, hopefully, on a safer and more attractive North Entrance to the city.