In a session chaired by the Minister of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos, a decisive step was taken today for the Directorate-General of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services (DGRM) to move forward with the navigability project of the Pomarão-Mértola section of the Guadiana River.

The session took place in the Town Hall of Mértola and, besides the DGRM, were present the municipalities of Mértola, Alcoutim and Castro Marim, the CCDR's, the ICNF, Docapesca, the Hydrographic Institute and the Captaincy of Vila Real de Santo António.

The DGRM will advance with the navigability project of the last stretch until Mértola, which will contemplate the regularization of bottoms in all its extension and the execution of maritime marking through day and night beaconing of the future navigation channel. In addition, interventions in the docking and people movement infrastructures should also be carried out.

It should be recalled that the DGRM has carried out in recent years the restoration of the breakwater pier of the river access bar at Vila Real de Santo António, as well as the implementation of navigability projects in the first two sections, i.e., the section between VRSA-Alcoutim and Alcoutim-Pomarão.

With the completion of this project, the navigability of this inland waterway will be restored, which in the past assumed great economic and social importance for the people of the Lower Guadiana and which is currently a great aspiration of this territory.