Traffic should be back to normal on the bridge by next week
After a brief period of normality, traffic restrictions have returned to the New Arade Bridge linking Portimão and Lagoa in the Algarve.
The bridge finally reopened to two-way traffic again on Thursday, November 28, over two months after inspection works began on the bridge’s suspension cables, forcing traffic to be restricted to just one lane on large sections of the bridge. However, drivers were taken by surprise on Monday morning (December 2) when traffic lights were reactivated, reinstating alternating traffic flow and bringing back the long queues that have made travelling between the two municipalities a nightmare for daily commuters.
According to Lagoa mayor Luís Encarnação, the disruption stems from additional inspection work needed on the bridge’s suspension cables. The works are being carried out by Rotas do Algarve Litoral, the company overseeing the project.
Cited by online newspaper Algarve Marafado, Encarnação says he has been told by the company that these additional works “should be completed by the end of the week.”
The mayor expressed hope that this deadline will be respected, as Lagoa is set to begin critical roadworks on Rua Infante de Sagres in Parchal on Monday, December 9, which provides access to Ponte Velha (Old Bridge), the only alternative bridge linking Portimão and Lagoa apart from the tolled A22 motorway. If both projects overlap, drivers could be faced with even more serious traffic disruption.
Local authorities and residents alike are now looking to the contractor to stick to its promised schedule, ensuring smoother travel before further disruptions ensue.
