There is already a project to return the sides of Avenida da Liberdade to its original direction. The contract work should be carried out in early 2023 and includes new 30+bicycle markings.

There is already a project for the promised reversal of traffic directions on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade. Following a PSD proposal, approved last term, the Lisbon City Hall will move forward next year with the creation of continuous circulation corridors on the sides of the most iconic avenue in the capital.
The work, which will be carried out by EMEL, should be completed by the beginning of 2023, as the Councilman for Mobility had already announced. At a conference on mobility in late September, Ângelo Pereira referred to which in January next year the original directions on the sides of Avenida da Liberdade will be restored "reduce pollution levels". The public tender, with a base value of about 480 thousand Euros, has already been launched.

This reinstatement resulted from a PSD proposal, which was presented still in Medina's mandate and which was discussed and voted on in a town hall meeting in October 2020. The then social-democratic councilor Teresa Leal Coelho intended "proceed to the restoration of the circulation directions of the side corridors of Avenida da Liberdade, as they were before September 2012, in order to improve the quality of life of those who live and work in Lisbon" - the will was accepted by a majority, with 14 votes in favor, including from the PS; only the two PCP councilors abstained.

The PSD argued, at the time, that "the fact that there was an obligation to enter the central axis of the Avenue, due to the lack of continuity of circulation between sections [of the sides], not only increased congestion in the central lanes, but also did not have the effect announced by the Lisbon City Hall regarding the reduction of pollutant gas emissions, namely, nitrogen dioxide (NO2)". The text of the proposal also stated that the measure "triggered the detour of traffic to other arteries of the city, which were not - and are not - prepared to hold the high flows experienced especially during rush hour" and that "cutting the continuity of circulation between the side lane sections has even hindered the search for parking space".
With the approval of this proposal by the municipal executive, Teresa Leal Coelho was expecting it to materialize in 2020 (the social-democratic councilwoman intended to give a "Christmas present" to the people of Lisbon)but Fernando Medina, in early 2021, ended up postponing the work until the next termThey apologized for the pandemic and the possible impact that making the changes would have on commerce and life on Avenida da Liberdade.

Restoring the original traffic directions on the sides of the avenue was part of the major requalification project of that axisIt would be with this redevelopment that Medina would make the changes to Avenida da Liberdade. It would be with this major redevelopment that Medina would make the changes to Avenida da Liberdade. However, this great work could never advance without first the deep drainage works already reviewed in that area to be developed.
Thus, the requalification of Avenida da Liberdade - a contract under the responsibility of the municipal company SRU - remains on Moedas' table, but will only be done after the drainage. However, the reversal of the directions of the sides will go ahead already in early 2023, it will be a temporary intervention and will be performed at the same time as the drainage.
The project includes changes to parking, vertical and horizontal signaling, traffic lights, islands, and sidewalk. Potholes in some parts of the sidings will be covered, especially in the current downhill (future uphill) corridor. The laterals will continue to be limited to 30 km/h. New pockets will be created for motorcycles and new bicycle parking spaces. And the current shared bike lane will be upgraded to the new 30+bici design, which has been implemented in the city in recent years.

A note regarding the new 30+bike lanes on Avenida da Liberdade: a direct connection to the Marquês de Pombal Square bicycle path is not plannedTherefore, users will have to use pedestrian crossings and sidewalk zones to circulate between the sides of Avenida da Liberdade and Marquês do Marquês.

The traffic directions on Avenida da Liberdade had been readjusted in 2012, during António Costa's mayoral mandate. The project, idealized by his Councilman of Mobility, Fernando Nunes da Silva, had the following objectives purpose of calming and reducing traffic on the sides. By preventing the continuous crossing of the sides with blocks in some blocks, Costa and Nunes da Silva intended these streets to be for local and strictly necessary traffic, while improving the coexistence with bicycles.