Puente de la Pólvora facts for kids
El Puente de la Pólvora (which means "The Black-powder Bridge" in Spanish) was a special bridge made of metal and stone. It crossed the Segura River in Spain. This bridge also had five stone arches on one side. These arches helped the bridge cross the wide river plain, especially when the river flooded.
The bridge was built between 1870 and 1877. It was located near the towns of Javalí Viejo and Alcantarilla in the Región de Murcia in Spain. Two engineers designed it: Manuel Pardo Sánchez-Salvador designed the stone parts, and José Caunedo Sánchez designed the metal parts.
Why Was the Bridge Built?
The main reason for building this bridge was to help transport black powder. Black powder, also known as gunpowder, is a dangerous material. Convoys (groups of vehicles) carried it from a nearby military factory to the Port of Cartagena.
Before this bridge was built, these dangerous convoys had to go through the city of Murcia. They used the only bridge available at the time, called El Puente de los Peligros. The people living in Murcia were very worried about the risk of these black powder transports passing through their city. They complained many times about the danger. The new bridge helped keep the city safer by giving the convoys a different route.
What Happened to the Bridge?
In 1974, a new bridge made of reinforced concrete was built just a short distance upstream. Because of this new bridge, the metal part of El Puente de la Pólvora was taken down in 1975. It was then sold as scrap metal.
Later, the stone support on the right side of the river was also removed. This happened when the river was being changed and made into a channel. However, the stone support on the left side and the five stone arches are still there today. They are now used as a way to reach the service road along the river channel.
See also
In Spanish: Puente de la Pólvora para niños
