Vascão River Bridge Returns, Rekindling Algarve–Alentejo Link

Habitual travellers between the Algarve and the Baixo Alentejo woke on Friday to find the Vascão River bridge finally back in service—a welcome relief tempered by fresh traffic lights and speed signs that quickly reminded everyone the job is not over.

A cautious return to an old crossing

The structure on National Road EN122, straddling Alcoutim on the Algarve side and Mértola in Alentejo, reopened at 11:00 on 3 October after being sealed off for a full year. For now, drivers must accept alternating flows during daylight—managed by semáforos—and a universal speed cap that remains in place even when both lanes are available overnight or on non-working days. Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) argues the restrictions are essential while crews finish waterproofing joints, tightening cables and installing new safety barriers.

One year without a lifeline—and the bill it left behind

Local councils estimate that the 12-month closure erased a sizeable slice of summer turnover for cafés, rural guesthouses and river-tour operators. Hotel bookings in Mértola fell by roughly 25 % compared with the two previous high seasons, according to municipal data. On the Algarve bank, Alcoutim’s mayor Paulo Paulino speaks of “an invisible wall” that chased day-trippers away. A roadside café owner near Espírito Santo recalls spending entire mornings “without a single car rolling past the window,” a stark contrast to the pre-closure stream of camper-vans heading for Spain or the Algarve coast.

Why the repairs over-ran the calendar

When IP shut the bridge in October 2024, engineers expected to finish by the following spring. Reality intruded. The contractor struggled to source the new steel deck—fabricated abroad and delivered months late—and to recruit specialised welders during the post-pandemic labour squeeze. The €2.9 M scheme, co-financed by EU cohesion funds, eventually replaced the entire road slab, widened the carriageway to 6 m, and added two pedestrian walkways. Yet each missed shipment pushed deadlines further, prompting a succession of “just a few more weeks” notices that frustrated residents and freight companies alike.

What motorists need to know next

IP refuses to pin down a final hand-over date, saying only that “complementary works” should wrap up once cooler weather guarantees proper curing of protective coatings. Until then, daylight commuters will keep queuing at the traffic lights. Heavy vehicles above 16 t remain banned from the crossing and must detour via IC27 or EN123. Speed limits of 50 km/h apply round-the-clock; mobile patrols were visible on reopening weekend, hinting at strict enforcement while fresh asphalt settles.

A wider warning from Portugal’s rural bridges

The Vascão overhaul is part of a broader maintenance push. Just 50 km upstream, crews began reinforcing the Dois Irmãos bridge in August at a cost of €0.5 M. IP’s latest half-year report lists more than 40 bridges nationwide needing “priority intervention” within five years, many on secondary roads that channel tourist traffic between the Algarve, the Alentejo and Spain. Ageing concrete, extreme summer heat and heavier lorry loads are eroding margins of safety faster than traditional inspection cycles anticipated.

Cautious optimism in Alcoutim and Mértola

Despite lingering traffic controls, both municipalities are staging autumn events to lure visitors back—kayak races on the Guadiana, game-meat festivals and night-sky tours in the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve. Mayor Mário Tomé of Mértola calls the reopening a “psychological turning point,” yet warns that trust will only be fully restored once the semáforos disappear. For residents who spent a year watching detour signs direct friends and customers elsewhere, the hum of engines on the reborn bridge already sounds like progress—even if it is punctuated by the red glow of yet another temporary light.