Rehabilitation work on the lower deck of the Luiz I Bridge is expected to be finished by the end of March
At issue, remember, were the repairs of the anomalies "with special focus on surface corrosion of metallic elements and the replacement of 'rivets', 'deformed plates' and 'replacement of expansion joints'".
Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), in statements given to Porto Canal, indicates that "most of the fences have been lifted and almost all the siding and other protection of the deck have been removed.
According to the news advanced by the same channel, the work that began in October 2021, at the time with a planned deadline of 12 months, had some disruptions. "The work execution plan had to be extended, delaying the completion date by six months" due to "the discovery of elements with 'medium to high corrosion' in excess of what could be expected in the bridge material" and to restrictions in the supply of steel caused by the war in Ukraine. Also the investment went from the planned 3.3 million euros to a total of 4.2 million.
The bridge that connects the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, thanks to the "strengthening of the upper flanges of the beams, diagonals and uprights by adding steel plates, introduction of longitudinal locking system" will now allow "the circulation of vehicles with gross weight up to 60 tons, double the previous capacity.
According to the same source, IP also foresees that "the vibrations felt by the passage of large groups of pedestrians during the S. João festival will be considerably reduced.