Mértola: Municipality will invest 5 million euros in Pomarão cross-border connection.


The Municipality of Mértola will invest 5 million euros in the conversion of the Municipal Path (CM) 1153, a cross-border road connection between Pomarão and Mértola, about 20 kilometers. The public tender will be launched at the beginning of 2025 and without delays, work will begin next year.

The section begins at the Baixo Guadiana International Bridge, in the old mining port of Pomarão, with the main intervention of the project taking place in CM1153, in a section with 10 kilometers away, which will undergo an expansion, with a dimension of two lanes with 2,75 meters each and respective shoulders.

The small towns of Picoitos, Alves, Tamejoso, Fernandes and Monte Alto crossed by CM1153 will be the biggest beneficiaries of the new connection. The other sections, divided between the National Roads 265 and the Municipal 514, will be subject to requalification and improvement.

Considered a necessary work, the connection between Pomarão and Mértola, is described as the possibility of “scaling the municipality to a different panorama, shortening travel time to Huelva and Seville, two very important hubs that are right next to each other”, justified to Lidador News, Mario Thomas, Mayor of Mértola.

“The effects of this international connection have three main objectives: territorial cohesion, the dignification of the route and towns and the improvement of comfort and road safety”, adding the mayor that also allows “a reduction in the distance in the main connection”, between the old mining port of Pomarão and Mértola, passed by Moreanes.

The project is completed, The municipality's technical services have corrected some technical non-conformities detected and are ready for the public tender to be launched at the beginning of next year.

Without a guarantee that the work can be included in the panorama of community funds, Mário Tomé began by justifying that “it is our understanding that this international connection must be covered by money from the community”, leaving the guarantee that “we will not stop if there are no. It is a work that is too necessary for us to be dependent on community funds”, finished.

Without being tied to community funds, the mayor revealed that the Municipality will resort to a bank loan, not because you do not have the financial capacity to ensure the completion of the work. “It’s about managing a financial budget that is finite. It is a mere financial option to use the bank. The loan is in the contracting phase”, assured Mário Tomé.

Returning to the importance of the connection made by the Baixo Guadiana International Bridge, the mayor considers that it will be fundamental “to guarantee the sustainable and inclusive growth of the municipality, promoting greater cooperation and sharing of resources that will contribute to strengthening neighboring communities on both sides of the border”, finished.

The Municipality of Mértola has shared the project with neighboring Ayuntamientos and after the intervention is completed, will carry out a promotional campaign in Spanish locations along the border to attract new and more visitors.

Maria Silvino (Café Silvino-Monte dos Alves)

The Silvino family spent many years immigrating to Germany, having returned to earth after the 25 April. They bought land in the village, where CM1153 already passed. Now, a few more meters are needed to widen the highway and for the family the issue is peaceful.

“They already spoke to us from the chamber, We are not thinking about compensation. Road work is very necessary, then we'll see the rest. We had already talked to the president many times about widening the road. The place is about 50 people, and there are many who work in Mértola and use this road. Many Spanish vehicles also pass here, in particular trucks. It is also very advantageous for business, because we make homemade food and a lot of people come looking. With safer roads we will have more visitors”.

Teixeira Correia

(journalist)


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