The meeting held in Lisbon on September 2 between the counsellor for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing of the Junta de Extremadura, Francisco José Ramírez, and officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing produced no public confirmation of the timeline for the start of works on the International Sever Bridge. Extremadura had sought clarification on the form of financing, the deadlines and the schedule planned for the execution of the Portuguese component of this infrastructure.
Just a few days earlier, on August 27, the president of the Diputación de Cáceres, Miguel Ángel Morales, had participated in a monitoring meeting at the Nisa Town Hall, where October was again confirmed as the horizon for the start of construction of the bridge between Cedillo and Montalvão. The absence of confirmation after the Lisbon meeting contrasts with that expectation created at the end of August.
The North Extremadura–Beira Baixa European Territorial Alliance (ATE) expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the meeting, considering that sufficiently concrete commitments were not made on various border infrastructures. The organization expressly refers to the lack of a date for the works on the International Bridge of Cedillo and advocates for better accessibility between the province of Cáceres, the Beira Baixa and the Alto Alentejo.
Extremadura has in this year's budget the funds needed to execute its part of the infrastructure, but refers to Portugal the questions regarding the financing and schedule of the works on the Portuguese side. The International Sever Bridge is considered strategic for improving connections between Nisa and Cedillo, creating new conditions for mobility of populations, tourism and economic activity between the two territories.
