Portugal Images: Ponte Dom Luis I Bridge over the River Tagus, Santarém
The Ponte Dom Luis I Bridge in Santarém carries the N114 highway across the River Tagus from Santarém to Almeirim.
The 1213-meter long bridge actually first dates from 1881 when it was the longest bridge on the Iberian Peninsula and the sixth longest bridge in the world. It stands 22 meters above the water. The deck is flanked by walkways for pedestrians, protected by metal handrails.
Between 1950 and 1959, civil engineer Edgar Cardoso replaced the original wooden deck and generally reinforced the structure. Cardoso also worked on other bridges in Portugal including the Ponte da Arrábida and Ponte de São João both in Porto. He also designed and built bridges in Mozambique, Angola and Macau.
There is, of course, a bridge of the same name in Porto over the River Douro.
The 4,300 meter-long Salgueiro Maia Bridge is downstream of the Ponte Dom Luis I Bridge and carries the IC10 across the River Tagus. It opened in 2000.
