“If (Montenegro) can secure a deal with the Spanish, the people of Alcoutim would be eternally grateful”
Carlos Ludovico, leader of the local branch of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in Alcoutim and councilman for the municipal council, has sent a letter to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, calling for decisive action to finally move forward with the long-delayed Alcoutim-Sanlúcar de Guadiana bridge project.
The plea comes ahead of the upcoming Iberian Summit, scheduled to take place in Faro on October 23 and due to be attended by 13 ministers and the heads of government of Portugal and Spain, Luís Montenegro and Pedro Sánchez.
In the letter, Ludovico expressed frustration with the lack of progress on the bridge, which has been in the pipeline for over three decades.
“This project has seen everything in the last 30 years. It’s moved forward, it’s gone backward, it’s stopped, it’s restarted. Nobody takes it seriously anymore,” said Ludovico, calling for urgent action to finally complete the project.
The bridge, which would connect Alcoutim, Portugal, to Sanlúcar de Guadiana, Spain, has already been included in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) which will fund its construction. However, Ludovico has criticised the handling of the project, pointing out that the Spanish government has yet to agree on the necessary roadworks on their side of the border. “It’s like trying to build a bridge to nowhere,” he remarked.
The PSD Alcoutim leader expressed his confidence in Prime Minister Montenegro, citing his recent success in negotiating agreements with various sectors, including teachers, security forces, and healthcare workers. “Montenegro is our last hope,” Ludovico said, adding that if he can secure an agreement with the Spanish, “the people of Alcoutim would be eternally grateful,” Ludovico added.
