Rehabilitation of the road between Espargos and Santa Maria on Cape Verde's island of Sal, an investment of about €8.9mn, is at risk of missing its December completion date after three earlier deadlines passed, the minister for special projects and access to funds said on October 28, state news agency Inforpress reported. The government will reschedule the work with the ministries and companies involved, he said.
Analysis: The route serves Santa Maria on Sal, which accounted for 59.5% of Cape Verde's hotel overnight stays in the second quarter. Another delay could prolong disruption for tourism businesses and airport transfers during the winter travel season. The minister says work is progressing but has not identified the causes of three previous missed deadlines or quantified how much remains to be done. He also gave no spending update against the €8.9mn project budget. A revised schedule is promised after talks with ministries and contractors, but has not yet been published.
Source: Inforpress, Inforpress, 'Ilha do Sal: Conclusão da obra da estrada Espargos–Santa Maria em risco até Dezembro - ministro', October 28, 2026, 2026 and As of October 2026; Forbes África Lusófona / Lusa, Forbes África Lusófona, 'Turismo cresce em hóspedes, mas dormidas e ocupação hoteleira recuam no segundo trimestre em Cabo Verde' (Catarina Ramos, September 9, 2026), citing INE's Q2 2026 tourism release (Estatísticas do Turismo - Movimentação de Hóspedes - 2º Trimestre 2026), Q2 2026