Lisbon, April 7, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) met its deadline to deliver a report outlining the criteria for identifying and assessing critical points in road and rail networks following recent severe weather.

Speaking to Lusa, an official source from the infrastructure and housing ministry confirmed that LNEC completed and submitted the report on 23 March, in accordance with a government order approved on 11 February.

The document established the selection criteria for assessing infrastructure vulnerabilities, fulfilling the first phase of the technical planning process, he said.

However, the ministry has not yet disclosed specific details of the plan or provided a definitive start date for on-site inspections.

Regarding these inspections, the ministry said that it was LNEC’s responsibility to define the necessary resources, without specifying whether additional resources would be allocated or whether external bodies would be engaged, he said.

The order mandates an independent technical assessment of the national road and rail infrastructure following damage caused by extreme weather events across various regions of the country.

The assessment should focus on critical points, such as bridges, tunnels, viaducts and embankments, to assess the infrastructure's safety and operational conditions.

SCR/MYAL // ADB.

Lusa