North Concession
The Concession consisted of the construction of the following motorway sections:
- A11 / IP9 – Celeirós (Braga) / Guimarães (Oeste) – General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures (Bridges and Viaducts)
- A7 / IC5 – Selho / Calvos – Special Engineering Structures (Bridge and Viaducts)
- A7 / IC5 – Calvos / Fafe Sul – General Works, Special Engineering Structures (Bridge and Viaducts)
- A7 / IC5 – Fafe / Basto – General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures
- A7 / IC5 – Basto / Ribeira de Pena – Special Engineering Structures
- A11 / IP9 – Lousada / IP4 / A4 – General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures (Viaducts)
A11 / IP9 - Celeirós / Guimarães Oeste subsection (General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures (Bridges and Viaducts))
General Works:
14.9 km long motorway section featuring 2x2 lanes and a wide central reservation (4.1 m).
Special Engineering structures:
Construction of 2 viaducts and 1 bridge:
- Viaduct over the Veiga River – 176m long with a maximum span of 24m, with a deck made of prefabricated beams.
- Morreira Viaduct – 554m long with a maximum span of 44m, with a deck built using a launching girder.
- Bridge over the Ave River – 280m long with a maximum span of 56.6m, with a deck made of prefabricated beams and box girders.
Common Engineering Structures:
Consisted of 7 overpasses (6 constructed with prefabricated beams and 1 built in situ) and 1 underpass constructed in situ.
A7 / IC5 – Selho / Calvos subsection (Special Engineering Structures)
Construction of 3 viaducts:
- Nespereira Viaduct – consisting of 2 decks, 644m long and 17.55m each deck, with a maximum span of 56m, built using launching girder and ground-supported falsework.
- Calvos Viaduct – consisting of 2 decks, 404m long and 17.55m wide each deck, with a maximum span of 42m, built using launching girder.
- Selho Junction Viaduct – consisting of 2 decks, 272m long and 12,9m each deck, with a maximum span of 32.7m, built using ground-supported falsework.
A7 / IC5 – Calvos / Fafe Sul subsection (General Works)
8.4 km long motorway section featuring 2x2 lanes and a wide central reservation.
A7 / IC5 – Fafe / Basto subsection (General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures (Viaducts))
General Works:
18.6 km long motorway section featuring 2x2 lanes and a wide central reservation, including one junction and 22 reinstatements of national roads, municipal roads and rural paths.
Special Engineering structures:
Construction of 2 viaducts:
- V1 Viaduct – 312m long, 31.95m wide deck, with a maximum span of 41m, built using launching girder.
- V2 Viaduct – 340.5m long, 31.95m wide deck, with a maximum span of 39,5m, built using launching girder.
Common Engineering Structures:
The process involved the construction of 13 grade-separated crossings to reinstate intersected roads, including 9 overpasses and 4 underpasses.
The overpasses included Overpass 8, which refers to the Gandarela Tunnel: 73m long, 29.7m wide and an average height to the natural ground level of about 11.5m. This tunnel was constructed using the "Cover & Cut" method.
A7 / IC5 – Basto / Ribeira de Pena subsection (Special Engineering Structures)
The works involved the construction of 4 Special Engineering Structures (2 Bridges and 2 Viaducts):
- Bridge over the Tâmega River – 366m long deck, with the road platform consisting of two independent decks, each accommodating one motorway lane. The structural solution adopted for the decks is hybrid: with steel beams and a concrete slab. The decks are constructed using incremental launching from the Basto side. The piers and abutments are made of reinforced concrete, with a maximum span of 60m, a maximum pier height of 68.73m, and an approximate deck area of 10,530 m².
- Bridge over the Louredo River – consisting of 2 independent decks, 15m wide and 380m long. The bridge was constructed using incremental launching of concrete, with a maximum span of 120m, a maximum pier height of 60m, and an approximate deck area of 11,400 m².
- Viaduct VII – 529m long deck, built using launching girder, with a maximum span of 42m and an approximate deck area of 15,870 m².
- Viaduct VIII – 166m long deck, built using prefabricated elements – beams and pre-slabs, with a span of 17m and an approximate deck area of 4,980 m².
A11 / IP9 – Lousada / IP4 / A4 subsection (General Works, Common Engineering Structures and Special Engineering Structures (Viaducts))
General Works:
7.5 km long motorway section featuring 2x2 lanes and a wide central reservation (4.1m). Two toll plazas were also built.
Special Engineering structures:
The works consisted of the construction of 2 viaducts:
- Viaduct V2 – located over the Sousa River, 450m long, 30m wide, deck area of 13,500 m².
For the construction of the deck, a Lower Self-Launching Formwork with an Organic Prestressing System (OPS) was used, a process that was innovative in Portugal and worldwide.
This system involves equipping self-launching formworks with a set of cables, hydraulic jacks, sensors and other components that compensate for the forces acting on the metal structure. This system enabled weekly concreting, significantly reducing the construction time with notable safety improvements.
- Viaduct V3 – located over the Caíde River, 175m long, 30m wide, deck area of 5,250 m².
The deck consists of prefabricated elements (box girders and pre-slabs) with a cast-in-situ concrete slab.
Common Engineering Structures:
The works included the construction of 5 overpasses (with prefabricated beams) and 5 underpasses (1 with prefabricated beams, 2 in Maprel Matière Structures, 1 in Maprel Box-Culvert Structure, and 1 in Armco Metal Structure), totalling 10 Common Engineering Structures.
