The contracts are to fund the construction of two bridges to better link the Alentejo and Algarve to the Spanish regions of Extremadura and Andalusia.

The bridge between Alcoutim (Algarve) and Sanlúcar de Guadiana (Andalusia) and the bridge over the River Sever, in the parish of Montalvão, in the municipalities of Nisa (Portalegre) and Cedillo (Extremadura), represent an investment of €9 million each, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), which is expected to be completed in 2025.

“Both the Alcoutim bridge and the Nisa bridge, over the river Sever, are long held desires of these areas and demonstrate a commitment both to the Algarve and to the Alentejo”, said the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa.

Abrunhosa stressed that the projects for the two bridges “are important” and will create an “impact” in these cross-border areas.

"We are talking about €18 million of investment that will have a much greater impact on the territory, because they bring the two countries together, because they allow the projects we already have for cooperation between these territories to have much greater economic and social impacts," she said.

Ana Abrunhosa, who also warned that the country cannot “waste this opportunity” to take advantage of the funds from the PRR, said she hopes that the deadlines for the building of the bridges will be met.

“I am sure that deadlines will be met, because we have dedicated teams in the territory to monitor these projects,” she said.

According to the Government, the bridge between Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana will "strengthen cooperation" between the regions of the Algarve and Andalusia.