The municipal councils of Alcoutim, in the Portuguese Algarve, and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, in the Spanish province of Huelva, made a joint appeal to the governments of Portugal and Spain to unblock the advancement of the construction of the International Bridge over the Guadiana. The two cross-border municipalities argue that this infrastructure is essential to revitalize the region and facilitate mobility between the two countries.
The process is currently pending an environmental assessment from the Spanish Government. Without this approval, the project cannot advance to the next phases of development. Local authorities consider that the delay in issuing this assessment is compromising the economic and social development expectations of the border region.
The international bridge would directly connect the two banks of the Guadiana River, creating a new connection between the interior of the Algarve and the north of the province of Huelva. Currently, residents of the area have to travel significant distances to cross the river, which limits commercial, tourist, and cultural exchanges between the communities on both sides.
