We will not give up on making this bridge.
In the highlands of northern Portugal, two small municipalities find themselves caught between the energy ambitions of a nation and the daily realities of its most isolated citizens. The Alto Tâmega dam will soon swallow a pedestrian bridge connecting the villages of Veral and Monteiros, and the councils of Boticas and Vila Pouca de Aguiar have pledged their own scarce resources to ensure it is rebuilt — insisting that the state and its concessionaire cannot simply flood a community's lifeline in the name of progress and walk away. It is an old tension, rendered newly urgent by a filling schedule that leaves little room for deliberation: the question of who owes what to those who bear the costs of collective benefit.
- A dam built for the nation's energy needs will erase a pedestrian bridge that rural villagers depend on, and the clock is running — filling begins in late 2023.
- Iberdrola and other parties have resisted funding the €2.9M replacement, arguing the bridge serves too few people to justify the cost.
- The mayors of Boticas and Vila Pouca de Aguiar have each committed €200,000 from already-strained municipal budgets, framing it as a moral stand rather than a financial calculation.
- Both mayors have drawn a hard line: no more meetings without concrete decisions, and legal action if the bridge replacement does not move forward.
- A comparable bridge serving two other affected villages is already under construction and nearing completion — proof, the mayors argue, that this one can and must be built too.
The councils of Boticas and Vila Pouca de Aguiar have each pledged 200,000 euros toward rebuilding a pedestrian bridge that will disappear beneath the rising waters of the Alto Tâmega dam. The bridge links the rural villages of Veral and Monteiros across the Tâmega river, and its loss would deepen the isolation of communities already living at the margins of Portugal's most sparsely populated interior.
At a meeting Monday with Portugal's environmental agency, both mayors made their resolve plain. Fernando Queiroga of Boticas said the bridge would be rebuilt one way or another — through Iberdrola's proposal, the municipalities' own more modest design, or some other path. Alberto Machado of Vila Pouca de Aguiar put it in terms of principle: a bridge connects people, and no alternative exists. Their combined €400,000 pledge, they acknowledged, represents a serious strain on municipal finances — offered as a gesture of respect toward populations that geography has already placed at a disadvantage.
The urgency is real. The dam is scheduled to begin filling in the final quarter of 2023. Once water levels rise, construction becomes far more costly and complex. The mayors are demanding that at minimum the bridge's supporting pillars be in place before that deadline, and they have refused to attend further meetings without concrete commitments.
The deeper argument is about responsibility. The mayors contend that Iberdrola, as the dam's concessionaire, is obligated to fund the replacement — and that the Portuguese state cannot stand aside. Iberdrola has resisted, pointing to the small number of people who use the bridge. Queiroga dismissed that logic: even a single resident, he said, deserves the same consideration as any other citizen. Machado went further, arguing that Portugal cannot sustain two classes of citizenship — one for urban populations and one for rural ones. The bridge existed before the dam was ever proposed; these communities did not choose to sacrifice it for national energy policy.
A nearby precedent offers both encouragement and frustration. A replacement bridge serving the villages of Capeludos and Sobradelo — also displaced by the same dam — is already under construction and expected to finish by April 2023. That one is moving forward; this one remains unresolved. The mayors left Monday's meeting sensing goodwill from the environmental agency, but they have made clear that goodwill alone will not suffice. They want a decision, and they want it within weeks.
Two small municipalities in northern Portugal are putting their money where their mouth is. The councils of Boticas and Vila Pouca de Aguiar have each committed 200,000 euros—a significant strain on their budgets—toward rebuilding a pedestrian bridge that will vanish beneath the waters of the Alto Tâmega dam. The bridge connects two rural villages, Veral and Monteiros, across the Tâmega river, and its loss would sever a vital link for people living in one of Portugal's most sparsely populated regions.
The mayors made their position clear in a meeting Monday with Portugal's environmental agency. Fernando Queiroga, who leads Boticas, was blunt: the bridge will be rebuilt, whether through the Spanish utility company Iberdrola's proposal, the municipalities' own cheaper design, or some other solution. "We will not give up on making this bridge," he said. Alberto Machado, his counterpart in Vila Pouca de Aguiar, framed it differently but with equal resolve: a bridge connects people, and there is no acceptable alternative to replacement. The full project carries a price tag of roughly 2.9 million euros. The councils' combined 400,000-euro pledge represents what they describe as a "very significant effort" for municipal finances—a gesture, they argue, of respect toward populations that are already marginalized by geography.
What makes this fight urgent is the calendar. The dam is scheduled to begin filling in the final quarter of 2023, less than a year away. Once water starts rising, any construction becomes exponentially more expensive and complicated. The mayors are insisting that at minimum, the bridge's supporting pillars must be in place before that deadline. They have also made clear they will not attend further meetings without concrete decisions. They are expecting another round of talks within two weeks, with announcements to follow.
The dispute hinges on who bears responsibility. The mayors argue the decision belongs to the Portuguese state, and that Iberdrola—which holds the concession to operate the dam system—should fund the replacement as part of its obligations to the communities affected by the project. Iberdrola and others have resisted, citing the high cost and the small number of people who actually use the bridge. Queiroga rejected that logic flatly. "Even if it were just one person," he said, "we continue to make investments in villages as long as there are people there. Whether it's a hundred or one, they deserve the same consideration."
Machado went further, arguing that Portugal cannot have two classes of citizens—those in densely populated areas and those in sparsely settled regions. To isolate people who are already naturally isolated, he said, compounds an injustice. If the bridge is not rebuilt, both mayors have indicated they will pursue legal action. Machado pointed to what he sees as both a moral failing and a legal violation: the bridge existed before the dam was proposed; the communities did not ask for the dam; it was built for the nation's energy needs. To remove their crossing without replacement, in his view, breaches an obligation.
There is a precedent of sorts. Another bridge, serving the villages of Capeludos and Sobradelo, was also claimed by the same dam project. Work on that replacement is further along—the pillars are done, and construction of the deck for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic has begun. That project is expected to be finished by April 2023. The difference is instructive: one bridge is getting built; the other remains in limbo. The mayors left Monday's meeting with what Machado described as a sense of "good faith and interest" from the environmental agency in making this happen. But good faith, they have made clear, is not enough. They want a decision, and they want it soon.
Citações Notáveis
We will not give up on making this bridge. It will be made, whether through Iberdrola's project first, or ours, which is cheaper, or another cheaper bridge—we will not abandon this.— Fernando Queiroga, mayor of Boticas
A bridge connects people. There is no acceptable solution other than fair replacement of the crossing over the Tâmega river.— Alberto Machado, mayor of Vila Pouca de Aguiar
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a bridge matter so much here? It's not like these are major towns.
Because it's the only way across the river for people living on either side. Once the dam fills with water, there's no crossing at all unless you drive hours around. For elderly people, for children going to school, it's the difference between being connected and being cut off.
But the mayors are only putting in 400,000 euros of a 2.9 million euro project. That's not even 15 percent. Why should Iberdrola or the state pay the rest?
Because Iberdrola is the one flooding the valley. The bridge existed before the dam. The company is required by law to compensate for what it destroys. The mayors see this as a basic obligation, not charity.
The argument about cost and few users—is that actually unreasonable?
It depends on what you think a country owes its smallest communities. If you only build infrastructure where it's economically efficient, you're essentially saying some people don't count. These mayors are saying that's not acceptable in a democracy.
What happens if they lose this fight?
They've said they'll sue. But more immediately, people lose access. Families get separated by water. The villages become even more isolated. And it sets a precedent: if you're small enough, you can be abandoned.
The timing with the dam filling in 2023—is that a real constraint or just pressure?
It's real. Once water is there, you're building in a reservoir. Everything costs more, takes longer, becomes technically harder. The mayors are right that the window is closing fast.
Do you think they'll win?
The environmental agency seemed receptive. But receptive isn't a decision. These are small municipalities fighting a major utility company and a state that's focused on energy production. They have leverage—the threat of legal action, public sympathy, the moral argument. But leverage isn't the same as power.