Madeira's main expressway carried an average of 40,500 vehicles a day between January and September 2026, while main roads recorded a daily average of 8,200 vehicles. The figures were released by the Regional Directorate of Roads (DRE) on Wednesday, 28 October.
Over the first nine months, total traffic rose 1.4% on the expressway and 2.6% on main roads, driven mainly by light vehicles. Heavy vehicles also increased, but make up only around 2% of traffic, so their influence on the totals is limited.
Growth slowed in the third quarter. Between July and September, weighted average traffic was unchanged on the expressway and rose 0.7% on arterial roads compared with the same period in 2025.