Mértola–Almodôvar Route Gets €2.3M Overhaul for 2026 Safety

Visitors who have not driven through the lower Alentejo for a few months may be in for a surprise: heavy machinery, fluorescent vests and fresh asphalt now dominate a 26 km ribbon of road that stitches Mértola to Almodôvar. The works are only just beginning, yet they already hint at a quieter, smoother and, above all, safer journey for anyone heading toward the Guadiana Valley. Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) has finally pressed the start button on phase two of a plan that locals have waited on for years—and that should remove the bone-jarring potholes once and for all.

Why this stretch matters to Baixo Alentejo

The ER267 may not enjoy the profile of the Algarve’s A22 or the Lisbon-Porto A1, but it is the shortest east–west link between the IC1 and the Spanish border, making it vital for everything from olive-oil tankers to weekend caravans. A single accident here can paralyse access to the natural park around Mina de São Domingos, an area that hopes to lure more eco-tourists in 2026 after the region’s candidacy for UNESCO Geopark status. Until now, potholes, uneven shoulders and flooded underpasses have been the bane of school-bus drivers and ambulance crews alike. Municipal officials argue that a safer ER267 will ease chronic isolation and help reverse Baixo Alentejo’s worrying population drain.

What the construction entails

Phase two covers kilometres 105.072-131.097, all within the municipality of Mértola. Crews will mill the old surface, lay a sturdier asphalt mix and replace 15 ageing drainage culverts that routinely clog during winter downpours. The upgrade sits under the umbrella of IPV2025, the national programme that fixes roads at the first signs of distress, avoiding the far more expensive overhauls Portugal faced a decade ago. IP’s press office confirms an outlay of €2.3 M, adding that the design team borrowed lessons from the completed 13 km stretch nearer Almodôvar, where a slightly thicker binder course reduced rutting by 40 % in lab simulations.

How drivers will be affected day-to-day

Unlike other projects that impose lengthy detours, IP promises that “traffic will remain open” throughout the 270-day job. Expect, however, alternating single-lane segments, controlled by portable traffic lights, especially when workers excavate the culverts. At peak harvest time—late October and early November—truckers hauling 3 M kg of olives each week will face the tightest windows. Smaller vehicles can skirt the worst bottlenecks by using the CM1174 through Corte Sines before re-joining the ER267 near Giões. Heavy lorries have fewer options: the official advice is to plan for 10-minute hold-ups rather than gamble on the longer, winding EN267-1. IP says every restriction will be flagged on its @EstradasPortugal account at least 24 hours in advance.

Money, deadlines and the wider IPV2025 programme

The ER267 contract landed with Construções Gabriel A.S. Couto, a mid-sized builder already resurfacing the EN238 in Sertã. Funding comes from the State Budget 2025 line for Baixo Alentejo mobility and co-financing by the EU’s Cohesion Fund. Should the contractor meet the 270-day deadline, IP will trigger a €115 000 bonus; any slip beyond May will cost the firm €5 000 per day in penalties. Nationally, IPV2025 sets aside €700 M to treat 1 200 km of roadway before cracks widen, a policy shift that transport economists say could save €1.9 B in long-term maintenance.

Voices on the ground: mayors, truckers and tourism operators

Almodôvar’s mayor, António Bota, calls the investment “just the beginning,” arguing that reliable roads must be paired with 4G coverage to keep young families from leaving. At the opposite end, Mértola’s agrarian cooperative worries more about logistics: director Helena Carrilho estimates that every hour a tanker spends idling costs growers €45 in spoiled milk. Truck driver José Patrício, who hauls cork, shrugs at the prospect of delays: “I’ll take a 10-minute stop over a busted axle any day,” he says, pointing to the €1 200 he spent on suspension repairs last March. Meanwhile, guest-house owner Mariana Pires hopes a smoother ER267 will persuade cyclists to extend their routes beyond the Algarve: “We’re only 90 minutes from Faro, but bad pavement makes it feel like double.”

Looking ahead: will safer roads bring new visitors?

Once the final layer of asphalt cools—IP is betting on summer 2026 after inevitable weather hiccups—the ER267 could become a poster child for proactive maintenance. Tourism boards plan to relaunch the “Estrada do Pomarão” driving itinerary, linking river beaches, Roman ruins and wildlife blinds for Iberian lynx sightings. The ultimate test will come in September, when 30 000 pilgrims are expected for the Nossa Senhora das Neves festivity in Mértola; if shuttles glide in without incident, locals may finally believe that the age of axle-breaking ditches is over. For now, patience, low gears and a watchful eye on IP’s traffic bulletins remain the smart driver’s toolkit.