New bridge to Faro Island inaugurated 17 years later

Seventeen years after it was first announced, the new two-lane bridge to Faro Island was finally inaugurated on Sunday (January 12, 2025).

Marking a new era for the local island community, the bridge’s inauguration was attended by Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside outgoing Faro mayor Rogério Bacalhau.

Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, presided over the inauguration ceremony
The new bridge is seen as a vital upgrade for Faro Island (known in Portuguese as Praia de Faro or Ilha de Faro), previously served by a single one-lane bridge which would often bring traffic in and out of the island to a standstill – particularly during the summer.

“Today is a very happy day,” declared Rogério Bacalhau at the ceremony, celebrating the end of a nearly two-decade project which suffered countless setbacks over the years. “This is an emblematic project for our municipality,” he said, adding that the local community, particularly the people of Faro Island, had been patiently waiting for its completion for a long time.

The project’s journey began in 2008 under the auspices of Sociedade Polis Ria Formosa, aiming to replace the aging bridge, which was originally built seven decades ago.

However, the project hit a major roadblock when the first two tender processes to award the construction contract failed. In 2017, the initial tender, with a base value of less than €3 million, did not attract any bidders.

Success only came with the third tender, but by then, the cost had significantly increased. Initially set at around €5 million, the contract’s value rose to €6.5 million after an early revision. Subsequent adjustments to meet environmental requirements and adapt the structure further escalated the cost to over €8 million. These revisions addressed the complex environmental conditions of the Ria Formosa estuary and ensured compliance with safety and sustainability standards, the mayor explained.

The project’s management also shifted following the dissolution of Sociedade Polis Ria Formosa, which saw the responsibility for the bridge’s completion transferred to the municipal council of Faro.

The final cost of the bridge was highlighted by Rogério Bacalhau, who described it as a “particularly impressive sum,” especially considering the council’s delicate financial situation up until a few years ago.

“This was a very complex project, surely the most complex carried out this century in the Algarve,” the mayor said, stressing how it was built in the protected estuary of Ria Formosa, which he said is “surely one of, if not the biggest treasure we have in our territory.”