In a statement, Metro do Porto states that the signing of that agreement, between members of the Board of Directors of the public concessionaire and representatives of the consortium Alberto Couto Alves (ACA), FCC Construcción and Contratas y Ventas, represents “another step towards of the materialisation of what is the largest Portuguese project within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan/NextGenerationEU”.

The value contracted between the parties was, the text explains, 379.5 million euros, with the global investment value of the Ruby Line being 435 million.

“The social, economic and environmental benefits of the Ruby Line are quantified at 1.7 billion euros. The works of the contract now awarded should be completed by the end of 2026”, says Metro do Porto.

The Ruby Line, with 6.4 kilometers and eight stations, includes a new crossing over the Douro River, the “Ponte D. Antónia Ferreira, Ferreirinha”, which will be exclusively reserved for the Metro and pedestrian and bicycle circulation.

On Friday 3 November, Porto municipality announced that President Rui Moreira will propose to the Porto Chamber, at the executive meeting scheduled for today, that it will not grant licenses for works on the Ruby line that cause changes or constraints to mobility until works on the Pink line (Linha Rosa) and the metrobus are completed.

In the proposal, Moreira also asks the Government for “an urgent assessment of the status of the works in progress and an audit on the inspection and design changes verified thereof and on the safety measures on the various work fronts”.

The decision follows the mayor's intervention at Porto's last municipal assembly which will take place today and in which he revealed that the municipality will not allow "any more work fronts" on the metro, arguing that the city "is chaotic" due to the works on the Rosa line and 'metrobus'.

In the proposal to which Lusa had access, the municipality expresses the “growing concern” related to the works promoted by Metro do Porto to expand its network, recognising “it is not possible to carry out works without them having a significant impact on the life of a city ”.

Currently, the Pink line is under construction, which will connect Casa da Música to São Bento, with intermediate stations in Praça da Galiza and Jardim do Carregal, and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, a pre-service system, which will connect Casa da Música to Praça do Império and Matosinhos Sul.

Regarding the Ruby line, which will connect Casa da Música, through Campo Alegre and a new bridge, to Vila Nova de Gaia, more precisely to Santo Ovídio, the municipality reminds that the route “is not the most desirable” and that Due to the “landscape impact and urban insertion, it was recommended that the crossing be made downstream, and that the possibility of using the Arrábida bridge had not been ruled out”.

Currently, Metro do Porto has six lines in operation, with an extension of the Yellow Line (D) between Santo Ovídio and Vila d'Este (Vila Nova de Gaia) being built, the Pink Line (G), between São Bento and Casa da Música (Porto), a 'metrobus' line between Casa da Música and Praça do Império (the extension to Anémona is awaited launch), and the start of work on the Rubi Line (H), between Casa da Música and Santo Ovídio, which includes a new bridge over the Douro River, is scheduled for the end of this year.