PS questions Government about delays in construction of the Vascão Bridge in Mértola

The socialists point out that the work should have been completed by November 30, 2024.

In a question submitted to the Assembly of the Republic (AR) this Thursday, the PS deputy elected for the Beja constituency, Pedro do Carmo, argued that the ongoing project "has already been subject to two successive postponements" and is now expected to be "completed only on September 30" this year.

The Socialist parliamentarian, in the document addressed to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, recalled that the Ribeira do Vascão bridge "constitutes a road axis between Alentejo and Algarve", and its rehabilitation, "started on September 30, 2024", should have "been completed on November 30 of the same year".

The "extension" of the project "has had a strong negative impact on the population and business owners in Mértola, particularly in the tourism, restaurant and retail sectors," the MP stated.

In the document, Pedro do Carmo questioned the government about the measures "to be taken to ensure the urgent completion of the work before the peak of the tourist season", as well as the planned creation of a "compensation plan" for the municipality of Mértola and local businesses "for the economic losses already caused by the prolonged closure of the bridge".

The socialist also warned of the consequences of diverting "traffic onto unsuitable municipal roads," which puts "road safety at risk" and increases "the degradation of local infrastructure."

In May, on the occasion of the last postponement, Infraestruturas de Portugal ( IP ), responsible for the project, explained that the delay was due to the “difficulty in providing the necessary equipment for the development of the work in a timely manner”.

Therefore, it became “essential” to maintain the ban on road traffic on the bridge, at kilometer 72.816 of National Road 122 (EN122), which connects the districts of Faro and Beja, in the southeast of Portugal.