The people’s bridge that unites Portugal and Spain
border bridge inhabitants of Vale da Mula Constructed (Aldea do Obispo (Spain), for over 30 years, without governmental agreement or official opening, is a source of pride for both peoples.
The bridge, over the Ribeira de Tourões, was built and inaugurated by the inhabitants of the border towns in December 1991 and, in the same place, a first structure had also been built, in 1985, that eliminated the border with Spain.
“The first bridge was narrow, four meters wide. The other now has nine, was raised and enlarged and is the one we have now”, I outline to the Lusa agency Manuel Santos Ruivo, 81 years old, former president of the Parish Council of Vale da Mula.
According to the former mayor who led the Parish when the inhabitants, with the support of the respective Juntas, built the second road bridge, the work was decided by the need for the peoples to “get closer”.
“There was [sobre a ribeira de Tourões uma passagem pedonal] with some boards and jumping from stone to stone. As we would need to go to Spain and we had to walk more than 20 kilometers from Vilar Formoso, when we could do the one kilometer route, discuss the meter as we get to work, he added.
It was the inhabitants of the two peoples who paid for the entirety of the works: “We spent around three to four thousand escudos [15 a 20 mil euros] on the two bridges”.
“The bridge, officially, was never legal, because it was built by the people and inaugurated by the people with a barbecue, but today it is legal. It was the Spaniards who, a few years ago, tarred the road on their part and signed tar over the bridge”, said Manuel Santos Ruivo.
The former mayor said that during construction, the Câmara de Almeida still embargoed the work, but it was not demolished because “it was already built on the Portuguese side”.
At the launch mark, where Salamanca authorities are not mandatory.
For the inhabitant of Vale da Mula, the achievement of the two is a source of pride”: “We are not sorry for what. On the contrary. This bridge only came as a beneficiary as two lands”.
Jacinto Pascua, 54, former mayor of Aldea del Obispo, told Lusa that the construction of the bridge “was very important for both peoples, because it gave them a lot of life”.
“It is a source of pride for everyone. Before the bridge, we go to Vale da Mula for a very long walk around Vilar Formoso. We had to cover a total of 35 kilometers and now we cover another 1.5 kilometers and we are there”.
Ana Paula Patrício, 66, who lives in Vale da Mula, recalled that the opening of the two bridges were “days of celebration” and “two remarkable moments”.
“At that time, the people of Vale da Mula and Aldea del Obispo were all happy, because they were with cars to and fro”, I outline.
In the land came the receipt of a bridge inaugurated in 1991 being torn down, “but it was not and brought progress, because many people pass through here every day”.
“I go there [na ponte] Buy every day, even for bread in Aldea del Obispo. And when I go to Vilar Formoso I also go there, because it is closer than going through Almeida”, José Balhessa, a taxi driver and resident of Vale da Mula, told Lusa.
For the resident, the construction of the bridge, by the people, “was an act of great value and of future vision”, because, in the region, “it was the first passage to exist between Portugal and Spain, beyond the border of Vilar Formoso, and which proved to be of great importance for the territories”.
“After all these years, it was good that the people’s deed was recognized and praised”, he defended.