Transport in Portugal

The major seaports are located in Leixões, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Lisbon, Setúbal, Sines and Faro.

The first priority was a highway designated as A1, a 300 km (186 mi) stretch reaching from the capital of Lisbon north to Porto, Portugal's second-largest city.

This highway would become a crucial link to the industrial activity in the north of the country and experience the highest traffic volumes in Brisa's network.

In 1985, a new government led by the center-right Social Democrats headed by Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, came to power in Portugal and began loosening the state's control over economic activity.

After years of slow progress, the government began an extensive investment program to bring the transportation infrastructure up to date.

The investment was urgently needed, since traffic volume in Portugal was growing at a faster rate than any other country in the European Union.