A pledge that has outlasted generations, survived successive governments and piled up decades of waiting has moved decisively towards delivery. Castelo de Paiva’s long-promised connection to the A32 - via the variant between Serrinha and Canedo - reached the final stage on Monday morning with the signing of the notice to proceed for the €70.2 million contract, a moment met with visible emotion locally. If no further setbacks arise, a more than 30-year ambition is expected to be delivered on 28 December 2028.
In the minutes before the Prime Minister arrived, residents of Castelo de Paiva gathered at the ceremony site, speaking about the road as if they were nearing the end of a drawn-out journey. “This connection has dragged on for years. We were forgotten,” said Manuel Ferreira, one of many locals who insisted on being present. “Only this little bit was missing. Only this little bit was missing,” he repeated, convinced that the promise had finally moved from words to works.
For more than three decades, there have been repeated demands for a fast, safe link between Castelo de Paiva and the A32 at Canedo, creating a more direct route to Porto. Large sections of the EN222 variant have been built over time, but the final roughly 10 kilometres were left unfinished, keeping the municipality reliant on a winding, slow alignment.
The new road will connect the Canedo junction on the A32 to the Serrinha area in Castelo de Paiva and will also cross the municipalities of Gondomar and Santa Maria da Feira. The design provides one lane in each direction, climbing lanes for slower vehicles along half of the route, six roundabouts, three viaducts and two bridges.
“It’s a project we’ve been asking for for 30 years. Now it will be real. For us, the municipality of Castelo de Paiva, it’s for development. It’s very important,” said Manuel Ferreira.
“It was Almiro Moreira who gave this huge push to the project,” he added, referring to the PSD MP in the Assembly of the Republic.
Ending day-to-day difficulties
Other residents shared the same expectations. “I think it’s essential for the municipality’s development - and not only that. Castelo de Paiva is also part of the country,” argued Aléxis Gonçalves.
Manuel Robalo, meanwhile, pointed to the everyday constraints faced by businesses and residents. “At the moment, it’s difficult to get around. We have an industrial area, but lorries from here to Canedo take half an hour or more. In the future, from here to Porto, it should drop to half an hour, when we currently need an hour.” He also issued a warning: “Now the work has to start, otherwise the money goes back.”
In front of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, the Minister for Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, and local elected representatives, the Mayor of Castelo de Paiva described the signing of the notice to proceed as a historic moment. Ricardo Cardoso said the scheme “represents the fulfilment of an aspiration that has crossed generations” and argued that real success will be measured “by the companies that come, by the jobs that are created”, and by young people no longer leaving the municipality due to a lack of opportunities.
Industrial area to be expanded
The mayor also announced that the council will immediately submit an application to expand the industrial area, aiming to take advantage of the improved access.
The Mayor of Santa Maria da Feira, Amadeu Albergaria, likewise recalled that it has been “almost four decades of a people’s struggle for better accessibility”. The head of Infraestruturas de Portugal, Paulo Carmona, stressed that the work will remove “a long-standing constraint in this territory”, with a direct impact on mobility and the economy.
Luís Montenegro accepted that not every public project can move forward at the same time, but said this one is a strategic priority. “This is the road for Castelo de Paiva. There’s no other way to put it,” he stated, arguing that the link will be decisive for quality of life, for attracting investment and for the wider region’s economic development.
“It was a dream for all the people of Paiva”
PSD MP Almiro Moreira called the signing of the notice to proceed for the EN222 variant “an important step” towards delivering a demand that is more than 30 years old. The parliamentarian, who is from Castelo de Paiva, thanked the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, saying his personal involvement was crucial to unblocking the process. “Without your intervention this project would never have moved forward,” he maintained.
Almiro Moreira recalled that the campaign for the variant marked the start of his political activity in 2011, and admitted that his candidacy as an MP also sought to help apply pressure so the scheme would be delivered. Convinced there will be no further delays, he underlined that the funding is secured through the State Budget and said he is confident the contract - with an execution period of 900 days - could even be completed ahead of schedule, in December 2028.
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Three municipalities
The new EN222 variant will link the Canedo junction on the A32 to the Serrinha area in Castelo de Paiva, over a route of around 10 kilometres that crosses the municipalities of Santa Maria da Feira, Gondomar and Castelo de Paiva. The contract was awarded for €70.2 million.
Six roundabouts
The infrastructure will have one lane in each direction, climbing lanes for slower vehicles along half of the route, six roundabouts, three viaducts and two bridges.
Greater safety
The aim is to replace the current winding alignment of the EN222, cut journey times, improve road safety and create better conditions for companies to set up and for the growth of Castelo de Paiva’s industrial area.
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