Puente de la Unidad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puente de la Unidad |
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Puente de la Unidad at night
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| Coordinates | 25°40′05″N 100°22′49″W / 25.66806°N 100.38028°W |
| Carries | vehicles |
| Crosses | Santa Catarina River |
| Locale | Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge, inclined pylon, asymmetric, semi-fan arrangement |
| Material | concrete (pylon) |
| Total length | 304 metres (997 ft) |
| Width | 28 to 35 metres (92 to 115 ft) |
| Height | 160 metres (520 ft) (pylon) |
| Longest span | 185 metres (607 ft) |
| History | |
| Designer | Daniel Tassin |
| Constructed by | Grupo Garza Ponce |
The Puente de la Unidad (which means "Unity Bridge") is a special kind of bridge in Mexico. It connects two cities, Monterrey and San Pedro Garza García, in the state of Nuevo León. This bridge crosses the Santa Catarina River. It's also known as the Viaducto de la Unidad.
Building the Bridge
The Puente de la Unidad was finished in 2003. Even before it was completed, some people had questions about it. This was because the river it crosses, the Santa Catarina River, is usually dry for most of the year.
Many local businesses in Monterrey helped pay for this bridge. They knew that the Santa Catarina River can get very full of water when there are heavy rains, especially during hurricanes. Despite this, the bridge was built to connect the San Pedro neighborhood with other areas like Colinas San Jerónimo and Cumbres.
Hurricane Alex and the Bridge
In 2010, a very strong storm called Hurricane Alex hit the area. It brought millions of tons of water into the river. This huge amount of water carried lots of trash and damaged many things in the riverbed, which was usually dry.
The way the bridge was built helps it deal with the river's natural path. This is important because the river can have very strong water flows at certain times.
Other Bridges Like This One
The Puente de la Unidad is a type of bridge called a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge. This design uses strong cables to hold up the bridge deck. Here are some other famous bridges around the world that use similar designs:
- Puente de la Mujer, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
- Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, California, United States
- Puente del Alamillo, Seville, Spain
- Assut de l'Or Bridge, Valencia, Spain
- Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Texas, United States
