Two warning levels keep drivers off flooded bridges
A car was once swept away trying to cross São Domingos bridge when the Gilão rose. A level sensor with two alert thresholds now tells Civil Protection when to close it.
The challenge
São Domingos bridge lies outside Tavira's urban area. When the Gilão rises the bridge goes under, and traffic was only stopped after residents warned, when the bridge was already impassable, or when there was time to check on site. In the past, a car was swept away trying to cross it; fortunately, its passengers survived. An access road to the bridge also becomes impassable once the river rises above the level of the bridge.
How can the state of a bridge be monitored, so it is closed before anyone is put at risk?
What we deployed
A level sensor next to the bridge with two alert levels: an early warning that announces an imminent risk that may require action, and a second, critical alert requiring immediate action, giving Civil Protection time to act and minimise the negative impacts on mobility.
What changed
The decision to close or reopen the bridge is now based on the level of the Gilão, measured continuously, instead of on reports from residents.
- Prevention through anticipation
- Operational efficiency
Why it matters
Tavira has already seen what happens when a driver tries to cross: a car swept away, and passengers lucky to survive. Two alert levels give Civil Protection time to close the bridge and its access road before the water reaches them, so nobody has to make that call alone at the water's edge, during a heavy storm.
- Cars driving onto a submerged bridge
- Drivers trapped on a cut-off access road
- Closures that only come after residents raise the alarm
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