A Redditor posted a pic of where the government of Arcos do Sardão, Vila de Gaia, Portugal removed part of a centuries-old aqueduct to clear the way for a street, and residents are not happy about it.
The picture was posted in a subreddit dedicated to "Discussion about the harmful effects of car dominance on communities, environment, safety, and public health. Aspiration towards more sustainable and effective alternatives like mass transit and improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure."
The Redditor captioned the photo, "Cars are more important than an aqueduct built in 1720," followed by a presumably sarcastic, "Viva Portugal!"
The Arcos do Sardão aqueduct was built in 1720 to carry water from a spring to the palace of Quinta do Sardão. It's not a particularly long aqueduct, built with only 23 arches, which makes the removal of even a small part of it that much more egregious.
The aqueduct was altered in 1987 to allow national road 222 to pass through.
The aqueduct was considered an architectural masterpiece when it was first built and is still a destination for tourists visiting the area to check out.
Although when most people think of the damage cars can cause, the discussion generally centers around damaging pollutants cars release into the atmosphere, which causes real-world issues that affect daily life around the globe. The aqueduct, on the other hand, serves as a reminder that residents can see every day.
One person commented, "That thing looks lovely. So if I understand correctly they [tore] it down and put modern reinforcements? Yuck."
"What a waste, hope they restore it at some point," another person commented. "Hell, it seems like you could have the arches and fit a lane through an arch with very little redesign … if you absolutely must."
A fellow Portugal resident added, "I'm from Portugal also. This is sad but not surprising."
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