Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia launch International public tender for the design and construction of the Bridge D. António Francisco dos Santos over the river Douro

The international public tender for “the design and construction of the D. António Francisco dos Santos Bridge and Accessibilities” was launched today, 25 June, with the publication of this announcement in the Official Journal of the European Union (JOUE) and in the Official Gazette (DR).

The tender is promoted by the Municipalities of Porto and Vila Nova Gaia, and the municipal company GO Porto – Gestão e Obras do Porto is in charge of the works management. The tender is specifically focussed on a Limited Bid by Previous Qualification, whose first phase of the procedure is the assessment of candidates. The process should be concluded two months following its publication. The aim is to select the candidates that meet the minimum financial and technical requirements set out in the tender notice.

In the second stage of the tender, the selected candidates will be invited to present proposals, within 7 months, namely a Preliminary Study of the global solution as regards the bridge they intend to design and build, meeting the technical requirements and other details specified in the tender.

Once the tender phase is concluded, which culminates with the contract being awarded to the winner candidate, the contractual execution begins and it consists of two stages: studies and projects implementation during the first 12 months, and then the execution of the construction work in the following 24 months, plus two months test set-up. Works should conclude in the second half of 2025.

The new bridge over the river Douro will be built upstream the Bridge São João and downstream the Bridge of Freixo, connecting the Riverside area of Porto - Avenida Paiva Couceiro – to Vila Nova de Gaia, more exactly to the Quebrantões area, where a new link-road to the rotunda Gil Eanes will be built.

The Bridge D. António Francisco dos Santos, so designated to honour the late Bishop of the Porto Diocese, will total 625 metres in length, of which 300 metres develop over the riverbed and the remaining 325 metres over fields in Vila Nova de Gaia. It is worth enhancing that the bridge deck will comprise two traffic lanes, with two taxiways each, a central reservation and one-way sidewalks and bike paths, on both sides.

As regards access roads to the new crossing in Porto, a raised patten roundabout shall be built in the current Avenida Paiva Couceiro, and it will be connected to this area through two viaduct link-roads. However, the goal is that the avenue continuity remains, and the current waterfront, below the roundabout will be kept for pedestrian and soft mode circulation use.

In turn, Vila Nova de Gaia will access the bridge through a new-built roundabout, and a new street, which will extend for approximately 590 metres, with a link to the Gil Eanes roundabout. This new street will have two traffic lanes, with two taxiways each, a central reservation, sidewalls, bike paths and parking spaces. Moreover, the Gil Eanes roundabout will be restored to include a bicycle track in the whole perimeter.

The tender base price is 38.5 million euros and determines the maximum execution time of 1150 days. The cost of the works, extremely relevant to the region, will be paid by both municipalities.

Applications must be submitted, in electronic format, until 11.59 pm on 24 July in the platform www.acingov.pt, where all the details of the tender can also be consulted.