A brand-new international bridge over the Sever River is set to transform travel between Portugal and Spain, cutting the road journey between Montalvão and Cedillo by 85 km.
It will form part of a more direct link between Lisbon and Madrid that could shorten some cross-border journeys by up to 100 km.
The €19.5 million bridge, funded through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), was officially commissioned on 29 December. Subsequent updates from Spanish and Portuguese authorities place the overall cross-border investment at more than €24 million, reflecting joint funding on both sides of the River Sever.
Political backing and regional goals
Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, said the project will strengthen inland regions, create jobs, and improve connectivity.
“Investing in the interior is key to reducing regional disparities and tackling depopulation,” he added.
Nisa Mayor José Dinis Serra described the bridge as a “clear example of collective persistence” by Portuguese and Spanish authorities.
He highlighted its long-term benefits: faster travel, stronger cross-border links, and new opportunities for local communities.
Environmentally sensitive design in Tajo Internacional Natural Park
The bridge will span around 160 metres and has been designed to sit within the protected landscape of the Tajo Internacional Natural Park. Engineers have opted for a structure without supports in the riverbed to limit disruption to the Sever and local wildlife, and plans also include dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
For walkers, cyclists and nature lovers based in nearby Portuguese and Spanish towns, this should mean easier access to trails and viewpoints without compromising the area’s protected status.
Day-to-day travel and tourism impact
For local residents, the new crossing will replace lengthy detours along narrow, winding roads that can add more than an hour to apparently short cross-border trips.
For international visitors driving hire cars between central Portugal, Extremadura and onward to Lisbon or Madrid, the bridge is expected to provide a much more straightforward, safer route through a region that has long suffered from poor connections.
Officials on both sides of the border expect the crossing to ease travel not only for nearby villages but also for long-distance traffic using the Lisbon–Madrid axis.
Road upgrades, timeline and wider cooperation
Construction is due to continue over the next few years, with the bridge currently scheduled to open in 2028.
The project also covers the upgrading of around nine kilometres of Municipal Road 1139, improving access for residents and visitors approaching Montalvão from the Portuguese side.
The Sever River crossing forms part of a wider programme of Spain–Portugal cooperation on cross-border infrastructure, including new bridges over other frontier rivers and upgrades to secondary roads.
Together, these projects aim to reduce isolation in border municipalities and create more reliable overland routes for residents, tourists and cross-border workers.
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