The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, said today that the ban on heavy vehicles on the Via de Cintura Internal (VCI) reduced the number of these vehicles on the Porto route by 30%, with impact also on the Douro crossings.
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04/11/2026
by
Lusa
O minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, said today that since the entry into force of the ban on heavy duty on the Internal Beltway (VCI), there are “less than 30%” of these vehicles on that route from Porto.
At a ceremony at the Porto City Hall, Miguel Pinto Luz advanced that the prohibition allowed us to verify that there are “less than 30%” of heavy goods vehicles in VCI, a 60% reduction of these vehicles in Ponte da Arrábida and a reduction of about 3,500 heavy vehicles in the Douro crossings (Bridge of Arrábida and Ponte do Freixo).
Miguel Pinto Luz also announced that Portugal’s Infrastructures (IP) will launch competitions for IVC improvement works in January, “notably some of us”.
The ban, which began on September 15, applies to unrestricted heavy vehicles to the cities of Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia on the Internal Beltway (VCI) between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. on business days.
As an alternative to the ban on heavy duty in the VCI, CREP (Foreign Regional Circular of Porto)/A41 has been exempt from tolls since the beginning of the year.
The municipality of Porto and the Infrastructures of Portugal (IP) today signed cooperation protocols for the management of the Internal Beltway (VCI), for evaluation studies of the Nascent External Circular Route (VCEN) and the Outer Circular Route (VCEP), for the functional evolution and requalification of EN 12 – Road of Circumvalation and a cooperation protocol for sub-concession of private use of the platform of the Ramal of Customs.