The interior paths of Parque Eduardo VII are to be upgraded in a project designed to make circulation more comfortable and at the same time improve water retention. The work represents an investment of more than two million euros and will take place over 12 months in phases to allow the Book Fair to take place.
In a statement, the Lisbon City Council explains that "Parque Eduardo VII has an aging, unitary wastewater drainage system and a network of degraded sidewalks, the result of decades of wear and tear". This intervention will involve the placement of new collectors to separate rainwater from domestic sewage, in order to maximize the retention and infiltration of this water, and minimize its surface runoff.
José Sá Fernandes, Councillor for the Environment, Green Structure, Climate and Energy, said on a visit to Parque Eduardo VII this Monday that it is a "structural work" to enable "rainwater or irrigation water that seeps into the ground" and also that there is greater retention, "i.e. it takes time to reach the drainage system".
The intervention in Parque Eduardo VII is part of the so-called Lisbon General Drainage Plan (2016-2030) and adds to other drainage solutions already implemented in green areas, such as the retention basins in the Vale da Ameixoeira Urban Park and the Alto da Ajuda Urban Park, or the micro-basins in the Quinta da Granja, Campo Grande, Vale Fundão, Bela-Flôr parks and the future Feira Popular Green Park.
At the same time, and according to the project plan, the tar floors - "that haven't been fixed in dozens of years"will be recovered with a new bituminous wear mat, says Sá Fernandes.This will make walking through the green space more comfortable. All the existing trees will be kept. Lisbon City Council says it is preparing to repair two of the park's water features, the Pau Lake and the Estufa Fria Lake.
The municipality recalls that in recent years, Parque Eduardo VII has benefited from heritage restoration work (Estufa Fria, Pavilhão Carlos Lopes and Lago do Roseiral) and optimized management, for example with "the installation of an automated and centralized irrigation system that has generated water savings of more than 40%".
