Consortium Proposes New High-Speed Station and Bridge Design for Gaia Project
The AVAN Norte consortium, responsible for a key section of the Porto-Lisbon high-speed rail line, has formally proposed a new location for the Vila Nova de Gaia station and a revised design for the new Douro River crossing, deviating from the specifications outlined in the original public tender. The announcement signals a potential pivot in one of Portugal’s most significant ongoing infrastructure projects. The proposal, confirmed by consortium administrator Eduardo Pimentel, suggests an above-ground station situated south of the Santo Ovídio interchange, within the parish of Vilar do Paraíso. This contrasts with the original plan for a subterranean station directly at Santo Ovídio, which was designed to integrate with the existing Porto Metro network. The project specifications, which mention the Santo Ovídio location 17 times, were the basis of the contract awarded to the consortium in October 2024.
The consortium, comprised of leading Portuguese construction firms including Mota-Engil, Teixeira Duarte, and Casais, also detailed a new concept for the river crossing. Instead of the single road-rail bridge initially planned, the new design features two structurally independent bridges—one for high-speed trains and another for road traffic—occupying the same physical space. Pimentel stated that while the technical concept of high-level rail and low-level road decks is maintained, the structures themselves would be separate. This modification was presented to the Gaia municipality in April, months after the project was awarded, and was reportedly not previously discussed with the government or the state-owned rail infrastructure manager, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP). The consortium has since framed this change not as an 'alternative' but as a necessary 'evolution of the project' as it moves into a more detailed design phase.
The proposed changes have been met with a complex political reaction. The Gaia Municipal Council has voted to approve the revised solution, with representatives from the consortium, such as Jorge Rodrigues, explicitly requesting the council's support in upcoming negotiations with national entities like IP and the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to secure approval. However, the central government issued a statement in April emphasizing that any modification must be “plenamente salvaguardada do ponto de vista legal” (fully safeguarded from a legal standpoint) and align with the tender's requirements. The government also reiterated that the original winning bid from the consortium was based on the Santo Ovídio station and single-bridge design. The official National Railway Plan, published in the Diário da República, also codifies the Santo Ovídio location, creating a potential conflict with the consortium's new direction.
The debate over the station's location and bridge design is now a central issue for the project's progression. The consortium argues that the Vilar do Paraíso site offers technical and operational advantages, while critics raise concerns about the legality of altering a publicly tendered project after its award. The Lusa news agency has sought further clarification from the consortium regarding financing for the necessary metro connections to the newly proposed station site, a critical detail for ensuring the project's public transport integration. The outcome of the negotiations between the consortium, the municipality, and national authorities will determine the final configuration of this transformative infrastructure, with significant implications for regional development and connectivity in the Porto metropolitan area. Monitor new development opportunities at realestate-lisbon.com.
