The Vila Real City Council said that the works should start within two weeks and that the contract for the project, divided into three lots and connecting the northern limit of the municipality of Vila Real to the city of Peso da Régua, has already been signed.

This section of the Corgo Railway Line was closed in 2009.

The Corgo Ecovia results from the recovery of part of the old railway line. To the north, the ecovia extends to Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Chaves, where it connects to Verín (Spain).

The Mayor of Vila Real, Alexandre Favaios, highlighted “the strategic importance of this intervention for the territory and for the promotion of sustainable mobility”.

“This ecotrail represents a structuring investment for the municipality and the entire region, promoting environmental enhancement, sustainable tourism, and the quality of life of the population. It is a project that strengthens the connection between territories and creates new opportunities to enjoy the natural and landscape heritage,” stated the mayor.

The project is the result of an application to Turismo de Portugal (Tourism of Portugal) and is divided into three sections covering approximately 40 kilometres.

The total investment of approximately €1.3 million includes works on road infrastructure, ancillary works, and electrical infrastructure.

In the municipality of Vila Real, the project corresponds to Lot 1, covering a length of 30.35 kilometres and representing an investment of approximately €626,000, with an execution period of 239 days, equivalent to about eight months.

Lot 2, referring to the municipality of Santa Marta de Penaguião, covers a length of 6.6 kilometres, with an investment of €288,000 and an execution period of 122 days, while Lot 3, in the municipality of Peso da Régua, covers 3.1 kilometres, corresponding to an investment of €393,000 and an execution period of 180 days.

The municipality of Vila Real stated that the Tâmega and Corgo International Ecovia “aims to establish itself as a regional reference axis for mobility and leisure, promoting the use of sustainable modes of transport and contributing to the tourist and environmental enhancement of the territories it crosses”.

It also aims to position itself as a new regional tourism offering, linking the European Network of Ecotrails in Verín (Spain) to the Alto Douro Wine Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.