The futuristic €2.4 million project for a new bridge to Faro beach could be done for less than half the money, a no-nonsense civil engineer has told reporters.
Talking to Lusa news agency, building boffin and university lecturer Carlos Martins labelled the current plan “absurd from an engineering point of view”.
The waves designed to decorate the bridge “cost a lot of money”, he claims, and are completely impractical, as the sea air will corrode their fittings.
Saying the project is a waste of money – particularly as the lion’s share of costs goes on artistic features – Martins maintains the structure could be perfectly well-built for a million euros.
What difference his comments will make at this late stage remains to be seen. The ambitious €3.87 million project for a new bridge and 900-space car park was approved back in 2012 as part of the Ria Formosa Pólis plan.
Reading Martins’ comments in the newspaper, a number of people commented, saying the costings are indicative of the levels of corruption still alive and kicking in local government.
But as Wagner Soares points out: “A country that needs to restructure itself economically cannot give itself the luxury of executing megalomaniac projects that seem barely efficient. Users require functionality, and I cannot see how this is the case with a bridge that offers only one lane for vehicles”.
Photo: Artist’s illustration of the new Faro beach bridge
