Alcoutim hopes to launch public tender for construction soon
The municipal council of Alcoutim has celebrated the signing of the agreement between Spain and Portugal which has paved the way for the construction of a new international bridge linking Alcoutim, in the Algarve, and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, in Andalusia.
The agreement was signed last Wednesday (October 23) during the 35th Iberian Summit, held in Faro.
Alcoutim mayor, Paulo Paulino, says the occasion marks an “important step” towards the construction of a bridge that will be “strategically important” to the future of Alcoutim and other border regions in Portugal and Spain, helping improve connectivity between the regions and boosting local economies.
The local council adds that it is “totally committed” to seeing this project through and that it hopes to launch a public tender for the construction of the bridge soon.
The Alcoutim-Sanlúcar bridge will unite two towns that currently only have a boat service connecting them across the Guadiana River. The new road connection will significantly shorten the journey by 70 kilometres. Similarly, the Sever River bridge – which is also moving forward following the signing of an agreement at the summit – will link Nisa in Portugal’s Alentejo region with Cedillo in Spain’s Extremadura, reducing travel distance by 85 kilometres.
