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Bridges of Porto.
The best way to discover the six magnificent bridges is probably to take a riverboat cruise on one of the old boats which used to carry Porto ‘s wine cargoes.
The bridges have their very own distinctive styles : the emblematic Dom Luis I bridge and its spectacular arch, the Arrábida bridge once the longest reinforced concrete bridge span in the world, the Infante D. Henrique bridge, one of the most elegant of its type, the Maria Pia bridge, Gustavo Eiffel's first masterpiece, the São João bridge with its span of 250m, a new world record among bridges in "portico" and, finally, the Freixo “double”bridge.
Dom Luis I Bridge: Avenida de Vímara Peres Porto
This truly is Porto’s emblem. We recommend that you take a boat trip under this amazing bridge or take a walk to appreciate this grand feat of engineering. Take the lower deck to reach Vila Nova de Gaia and its cellars and the upper deck for a perfect view of the town.
Designed by the engineer Teófilo Seyrig, yes you guessed it, a disciple of Eiffel of the Eiffel tower, was inaugurated in 1886 and comprises 2 overlapping iron decks. It is 395 meters long and 8 meters wide, and its arch is still considered to be the world's biggest one in forged iron. Nowadays the upper deck is used by the Metro of Porto, connecting the area of Porto's Cathedral to the Garden of Morro and to the Avenida da República in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Maria Pia Bridge : Avenida de Gustavo Eiffel
This is Gustavo Eiffel's first masterpiece which he worked on with Theóphile Seyrig. It was inaugurated in 1877 and remained in use for 114 years. It has a double-hinged arch that supports a single-track railway deck on truss pillars. Classified in 1982 as a national monument, its innovative design gained it international recognition in 1999 as being of historical importance to civil engineering. It has not been in use since 1991.
Infante D. Henrique Bridge : Rua das Fontaínhas
The Prince Henry Bridge engineered by Adão da Fonseca opened in 2003. It was built to replace the upper deck lane of the Luís I Bridge, used now by the metro line D . With a 371 meters long and 20 meters wide deck, this Maillart-type arch bridge, built at a high altitude level and presenting a span-rise ratio of 11,2 with a 280 m arch span is a world record. Experts agree to say that it is one of the most elegant of its type. It connects the Fontaínhas area to the Parish of Oliveira do Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia.
If you want to challenge your fear of heights take a walk on the upper deck, on the other hand… the lower platform is great to allow a walking visit of Gaia's caves and pay homage to Porto’s famous wines. A word of caution: do the upper deck first and not vice-versa.
Freixo Bridge : Via de Cintura Interna
This is the bridge on the outskirts of the city. It was built by Prof. António Reis and engineer Daniel de Sousa and inaugurated in September 1995. The bridge consists of a portico, with a 150 meters main expanse, made of pre-stressed reinforced concrete. As it consists of two twinned expanses which run 10 meters apart along its full 705 meter length, it may be thought of as a “double bridge”. Crossed by the A20 motorway, it links the Estádio de Dragão (Dragão Stadium) area in Porto to Oliveira do Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Arrábida Bridge : A1 Autoestrada do Norte
The Arrábida Bridge, designed by Edgar Cardoso and inaugurated in 1973 has a span of 270 meters; it was at some point the longest reinforced concrete bridge span in the world. It sits 70 meters above the average water level. You will appreciate the innovative design and modernist style and on top of the 4 pillars which support the central span, see those bronze sculptures reflect on the meaning of life. The A1 motorway runs over the bridge, connecting Campo Alegre, on the Porto side, to Arrábida on the Vila Nova de Gaia side.
São João Bridge : Avenida de Gustavo Eiffel Porto
This railway structure, by Edgar Cardoso, connects Campanhã station in Porto to all southern destinations, the first station being General Torres in Vila Nova de Gaia. Its central span of 250m, was a new world record among the bridges in "portico". The three spans are supported by two large piers grounded in the riverbed close to the riverbanks. The inauguration took place on June 24, 1991, the day of São João or Saint John.
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