About six kilometers long, the Marão Tunnel is part of Motorway 4 (A4), between Amarante and Vila Real. It was inaugurated on May 7, 2016, and opened to traffic at 00:00 the following day, May 8.

In response to a request for information from the Lusa agency, IP said today that, in these eight years, the Marão Tunnel has become the "preferred route for all those accessing the Trás-os-Montes region, having already been crossed by more than 33 million vehicles".

According to the company, since 2016, and with the exception of the pandemic period, the traffic using the Marão Tunnel has been increasing year after year, having reached an average daily traffic of 13,778 vehicles in 2023.

"Which represents a growth of 25% compared to that registered at the beginning of its operation and reveals the importance of this infrastructure for mobility in the region", highlighted IP.

This is a tolled section of the A4 and, according to IP, toll revenues reached 13.4 million euros in 2023.

The company did not disclose the cost of maintaining the tunnel, but stressed that "maintenance, operation and on-site assistance are ensured in person 365 days a year by teams at the service of IP".

Tolls in the Marão Tunnel may be abolished, as they are included in the PS bill to eliminate tolls on the former SCUTs that was approved last week in parliament, with votes in favor of the socialists, Chega, BE, PCP, Livre and PAN, the abstention of IL and the vote against PSD and CDS-PP.

The PS proposal - the only one that was approved - aims to end tolls on the A4 - Transmontana and Marão Tunnel, A13 and A13-1 - Pinhal Interior, A22 - Algarve, A23 - Beira Interior, A24 - Interior Norte, A25 - Beiras Litoral and Alta and A28 -- Minho in the sections between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darque.

According to the socialists, the measure has a budgetary impact of 157 million euros.

Classifying the tunnel as a "major work of national engineering", IP stressed that it is "a modern and safe road infrastructure".

It consists of two twin galleries, each with a length of 5,680 meters, which makes it the longest in the country and one of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, and has the most advanced active and passive safety systems and equipment, allowing permanent monitoring based on the Pragal Traffic Control Center.

"It is with great pride and a sense of mission that Infraestruturas de Portugal will continue to ensure the daily operation of the Marão Tunnel, guaranteeing its availability to serve the mobility of the population, the dynamization of the regional and national economy and territorial cohesion", highlighted the company.

The Marão Motorway - Marão Tunnel - allowed the completion of the A4, which connects Porto to Bragança, improved mobility in the Trás-os-Montes region, contributed to the reduction of road accidents and became the alternative to the winding Main Itinerary 4 (IP4).

This section of the A4 came into operation after seven years of work, three work stoppages and the rescue by the State.