The ceremony does not yet have a defined time, and the presence of a Government representative is expected, said the mayor, considering that, with this investment, budgeted at €6.6 million, the municipality will now have an infrastructure “aspired by the Farenses for many years.”

Rogério Bacalhau (PSD) acknowledged that some works will still need to be completed, such as the installation of LED lights, which have not arrived, but assured that the work will be “completed” and ready to go into operation on Sunday.

“These are details [that are missing], because from Sunday onwards the bridge will become operational and, therefore, will be used”, assured Rogério Bacalhau, considering that the missing work is “nothing special” nor does it prevent the entry into operation of the new structure.

Rogério Bacalhau highlighted the importance of this work to improve access to Praia de Faro, located on one of the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa and which is currently served by an old and narrow bridge, where circulation runs alternately in each direction.

“It is one of the works most desired by the people of Faro for many years and, therefore, I think it is a great achievement for all of us”, defended the mayor, who the day after the inauguration of the bridge plans to leave the Chamber of Faro to assume the presidency of the council management of Águas do Algarve, being replaced by councillor and vice-president Paulo Santos.

Over three terms and almost 12 years as mayor, the municipality carried out “hundreds of works in the municipality”, such as paving, the creation of the kennel or the renovation of the Alameda garden, but the work on the new bridge is “certainly the most emblematic, the most important and complex”, he said.

“I am fully convinced that this work is the most complex that has been carried out this century in the Algarve, due to the type of work, the fact that it is in the Ria because a lot of care was needed in relation to the Ria [Formosa]”, he explained, referring to due to the fact that the bridge crosses a lagoon area of ​​this environmentally sensitive area, classified as a natural park.

To guarantee the safeguarding of environmental heritage, the work was carried out “always in collaboration with the CCDR [Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the Algarve], with the APA [Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente], with the ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Florestas] and with the University [of Algarve]”, highlighted the mayor.

“It was a highly complex project and was practically on schedule. Two or three months late, but not significant. Because there were small adjustments that we had to make throughout the execution and, therefore, I think it worked very well, we are all to be congratulated, especially the contractor who carried out the work with great care”, he praised.

Asked whether the entry into operation of the new crossing to Praia de Faro leads to the closure of the old one, Rogério Bacalhau replied that, after the inauguration of the new bridge, “the other one will be deactivated”.