According to a report by Sul Informação, the tight schedule for the construction of the bridge was revealed in a presentation made by the Alcoutim Council during a working visit by Isabel Ferreira, Secretary of State for Regional Development, to Mértola and Alcoutim.

Osvaldo Gonçalves, president of the Alcoutim Chamber, admitted that there is only one month “reserved” for unforeseen events.

This month the designer of the bridge will be chosen, who will have to prepare the project for the execution of the bridge by the end of June (4 months).

Meanwhile, the tender for contracting the Environmental Impact Assessment process has already taken place, which should start in February and last until August, the month in which Alcoutim Council hopes to have a favourable Environmental Impact Declaration in hand.

The execution period for the work is 19 months, a little over a year and a half, with completion scheduled for November 2025. In the following months, the work will be received and inspected.

The bridge will be built north of the village of Alcoutim, next to the Youth Hostel, and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, on the slope below the fortress.

The upper part of the deck will have to be located about 27 meters above the river water level, to allow the passage of masted vessels.

The bridge deck should have a total length of about 318 meters, with a deck width of about 12 meters. Given its importance, the bridge will be designed for a useful life of 100 years.