Arrábida Bridge

Designed by Edgar Cardoso, the Arrábida Bridge was inaugurated on June 22, 1963. At the time of its completion in 1963, the bridge's main span of 270m was the longest of any reinforced concrete-arch bridge in the world. It is a remarkable work of Portuguese engineering and one of the masterpieces of Edgar Cardoso. Its construction began in 1957. The arch has a rise of 52m, and the maximum clearance above river level is 70m. It celebrated 50 years in 2013 and has been classified as a National Monument. When it was being built, construction workers used the arch to cross the river and people watched them from the banks of the river as if they were at the cinema to see if the bridge would fall. It was a daily show until the day of the inauguration, which was attended by the President of the Republic at the time, Américo Tomás. The Arrábida Bridge was essential to the identity of today’s Porto and boosted the development of Boavista and the entire western area of the city. This complex work of engineering allowed the opening of the Via de Cintura Interna and Via Norte, which connects to Maia.