The project for the future A26 between A2 and Beja was contracted by Infraestruturas de Portugal in July, and should be completed within one to one and a half years. The information was provided by the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo, to Diário do Alentejo, who explained that after the project is completed, the environmental assessment process will follow and, if approved, the tender for the construction will be launched.
The new variants of Figueira dos Cavaleiros and Beringel, recently inaugurated, were designed to integrate the future motorway. According to the official, these roads "are already prepared to be part of that future motorway".
Infraestruturas de Portugal currently has an investment of 250 million euros in the district of Beja, covering interventions in road and rail networks. This amount includes new infrastructure, maintenance works, repaving, safety improvements and signage reinforcement. To these figures should be added investments destined for the construction of the A26 and the complete modernization of the railway connection between Casa Branca and Beja, which has an estimated cost of 410 million euros.
The motorway connection to Beja is part of a set of three road axes identified as priorities by the Government for the Alentejo. In addition to this connection, the connections from Sines to A2 through Grândola Norte and the motorway connections to Portalegre and Beja are planned. Hugo Espírito Santo considered that "these three motorway connections are the most elementary justice" for the development of the region.
