Ponte da Arrábida
Captured from the Douro River during the Six Bridges cruise, this image shows the full span of the Ponte da Arrábida, the only bridge on the downstream side of the cruise. Without a doubt, it is an engineering achievement, but it also has considerable aesthetic appeal, with its symmetry and geometric patterns. Its design echoes the Dom Luís I Bridge, with a broad semicircular arch and the roadway running tangentially across its upper section. The slender vertical supports rising from the arch add to its beauty.
Check another view of the Arrábida Bridge from Jardim do Morro at sunset.
The bridge owes its name to the Arrábida area on the Porto side of the Douro, where the steep Monte da Arrábida rises beside the river.
The bridge was built to ease the burden placed on the existing bridges over the Douro, especially the Dom Luís I Bridge, as traffic increased between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
Its enormous reinforced-concrete arch rises above the river, supporting the roadway high between the steep banks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Nicely framed within the enormous arch is the riverside Casa d’Oro complex on the Porto bank, emphasizing the immense scale of the bridge.
Designed by renowned Portuguese engineer Edgar Cardoso, the Arrábida Bridge was built between 1956 and 1963 and inaugurated in 1963. Its main arch spans 270 meters (886 ft), and when completed, it held the world record for the longest reinforced-concrete bridge arch. The roadway stands about 70 meters (230 ft) above the average water level of the Douro.
Unlike the intricate iron trusswork of the 19th-century Dom Luís I and Maria Pia bridges, the Arrábida Bridge achieves its imposing appearance with a comparatively simple concrete form. The enormous arch, slender vertical supports, and roadway extending high above the Douro make it one of the most recognizable modern bridges of Porto.
It was also the first major bridge across the Douro to be entirely conceived, designed, and constructed by Portuguese engineers and companies, making it an important achievement in 20th-century Portuguese engineering. Its engineering and historical importance was formally recognized in 2013, when the Arrábida Bridge was classified as a National Monument of Portugal.
Douro River Views
– Scenic Beauty of the Douro River from the Dom Luís I Bridge
– Scenic Beauty of the Douro River and Ribeira from the Dom Luís I Bridge
– Sunset over the Douro River from Jardim do Morro
Explore More about Douro River Bridges
– Six Majestic Bridges Over the Douro River
Dom Luís I Bridge Pages
– Dom Luís I Bridge: Full-Span View from the Douro River
– Dom Luís I Bridge: Porto Entrance to the Lower Deck
– Dom Luís I Bridge: A Bird’s-Eye View from Porto Cathedral Belfry
– Dom Luís I Bridge: A Bird’s-Eye View from Vila Nova de Gaia
– Dom Luís I Bridge: Porto Metro Crossing the Upper Deck
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