Around 200 trucks set off from the A42 at Lordelo in the Porto district at roughly 7.40am on September 25, rolling south at about 50km/h in the right-hand lane. Organisers expect the convoy to swell past 500 vehicles as it joins the A41 and then the A1 towards Coimbra Sul, with arrival scheduled for around 1pm — a journey that would normally take far less than the five hours planned.
The demonstrators work in earthmoving, the heavy plant side of construction, and say they have been left out of government support measures introduced to offset fuel costs. Their numbers make the point bluntly: diesel has climbed from €1.59 per litre on February 27 to €2.22, a jump of 63 cents a litre that the sector calls unsustainable for businesses and jobs. The action lands amid wider pressure on Lisbon over fuel prices, with the government already urging Portuguese households to cut back on driving.
The GNR has a dedicated policing operation running alongside the convoy, with territorial commands along the route plus the National Traffic Unit, and access points, viaducts and surrounding roads being monitored in case intervention is needed. In practice, that means the A1 between Porto and Coimbra — the country's busiest north–south artery — is likely to see long tailbacks and slow-moving traffic for much of the day.
There is a political follow-up too: organisers have secured a meeting with Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz in Lisbon on Monday. Organiser Miguel Machado Mendes told Lusa the minister's office had been in contact to say the government was tracking the sector's demands, and the sector will push for what it calls concrete answers.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you are driving between Porto and Coimbra today, expect serious delays on the A1 and consider using toll alternatives like the A29/A17 coastal route, or shifting your journey to after the convoy reaches Coimbra. Anyone renting a car in Porto for a trip south should build in extra time and check live traffic updates before setting off. Rail is a sensible fallback — the Porto–Coimbra train line runs frequently and sidesteps the motorway entirely. Beyond today, the protest is a reminder that fuel-driven disruption can flare up quickly on Portuguese roads, so it is worth checking local news before any long drive in the country.
