Restoration of the bridge that connects Amarante and Celorico de Basto should be completed in June

The Lourido Wire Bridge, built in 1926, connects Amarante and Celorico de Basto and, since 2022, the structure is being rehabilitated to improve safety conditions and should be completed in June.

The bridge is located next to the railway station of the extinct Tâmega Line, towards the river. Fragile in appearance, it consisted of a wooden floor supported by bars, also made of wood, suspended by wires and metal cables tied to the banks of the river.

According to Cristina Vieira, president of the board of the Association of Municipalities of Douro and Tâmega (ADMT), responsible for the rehabilitation work, the objective of this rehabilitation is to provide “bridging the safety conditions necessary for its operation”.

“It will be able to be resumed as a link between both municipalities and become a tourist icon, with a scenic environment that will attract many visitors and nature lovers, as well as those who enjoy walking along the Ecopista do Tâmega”guarantees Cristina Vieira.

The work carried out on the bridge included the preparation of work platforms on the right and left banks, geotechnical work and the complete removal of the existing wooden elements on the deck.

Text written with the support of Gonçalo Carneiro, a student at UTAD.