Vasco da Gama Bridge

Vasco da Gama Bridge
Aerial view of the bridge
Coordinates38°45′43″N 9°02′35″W / 38.762°N 9.043°W / 38.762; -9.043
CarriesSix road lanes of  IP 1   A 12 
CrossesTagus River
Locale
Official namePonte Vasco da Gama
OwnerPortuguese Republic
Maintained byLusoponte (1994–2030)[1][2]
Characteristics
DesignCable-stayed, viaducts
Total length12.345 km (7.671 mi)[3][4]
Width30 m (98 ft)
Height148 m (486 ft) (pylon)[5]
Longest span420 m (1,380 ft)
History
ArchitectMichel Virlogeux, Alain Montois, Charles Lavigne and Armando Rito [pt][6]
DesignerArmando Rito
Construction startFebruary 1995[4]
Construction endMarch 1998[4]
Opened29 March 1998; 26 years ago (29 March 1998)
Statistics
Toll
  • Northbound: €3.20–€13.55[7]
  • Southbound: toll-free
Location
Map

The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Vasco da Gama) is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts that spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nações in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

It is the second longest bridge in Europe, after the Crimean Bridge,[8] and the longest one in the European Union. It was built to alleviate the congestion on Lisbon's 25 de Abril Bridge, and eliminate the need for traffic between the country's northern and southern regions to pass through the capital city.[9]

Construction began in February 1995; the bridge was opened to traffic on 29 March 1998, just in time for Expo 98, the World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to India.

Along with the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Vasco da Gama is one of two bridges that span the Tagus River in Lisbon.

  1. ^ "Vasco da Gama Bridge – Funding". Lusoponte. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Infraestruturas Rodoviárias > Rede Rodoviária > Concessões" [Road infrastructures > Road network > Concessions] (in Portuguese). Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Vasco da Gama Bridge – Construction Statistics". Lusoponte. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Vasco da Gama Bridge at Structurae
  5. ^ "Main features". Lusoponte. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Vasco da Gama Bridge: A Heritage for Lisbon's Future". Bureau International des Expositions. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tariffs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Hodge, Nathan (15 May 2018). "Russia's bridge to Crimea: A metaphor for the Putin era". CNN. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Vasco da Gama Bridge – Background". Lusoponte. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2016.