Tampico Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tampico Bridge |
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Bridge and Pánuco River
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| Coordinates | 22°13′42″N 97°50′13″W / 22.22833°N 97.83694°W |
| Carries | Mexican Federal Highway 180 |
| Crosses | Pánuco River |
| Locale | Tampico, Tamaulipas & Pueblo Viejo Municipality, Veracruz, Mexico |
| Official name | Puente Tampico |
| Maintained by | Caminos y Puentes Federales |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 1,543 m (5062 ft) |
| Width | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Height | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Longest span | 360 m (1181 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | October 17, 1988 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | 32 pesos |
The Tampico Bridge (Spanish: Puente Tampico) is a large cable-stayed bridge in eastern Mexico. It connects two Mexican states, Tamaulipas and Veracruz. This bridge helps cars and trucks travel easily between these two important areas.
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Where is the Tampico Bridge located?
The Tampico Bridge crosses the Pánuco River. This river flows into the Gulf of Mexico, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
The bridge connects the city of Tampico in the state of Tamaulipas. On the other side, it connects to the Pueblo Viejo Municipality in the state of Veracruz.
How was the Tampico Bridge designed?
The Tampico Bridge opened in 1988. Professor Modesto Armijo from COMEC, a Mexican engineering company, designed it. The bridge was built to be very strong. It can stand up to the powerful hurricanes that sometimes hit the Gulf of Mexico coast.
What materials were used?
The main part of the bridge, which is 360 meters (1,181 feet) long, uses a special steel deck. This is called an orthotropic steel deck girder. The other parts of the bridge use prestressed concrete girders.
Both the steel and concrete parts look the same from the outside. This clever design idea was later used for another famous bridge. It inspired the Pont de Normandie in France, which has a main span of 756 meters (2,480 feet).
How was the bridge tested?
Engineers used a special computer program called "Scanner" to check the bridge's strength. Alain Chauvin from Sogelerg used this program. He made sure the bridge could handle strong, turbulent winds from hurricanes. He also checked the bridge's structure and how it was built.
How much does it cost to cross the Tampico Bridge?
There is a toll to use the Tampico Bridge. This means you have to pay a fee. Caminos y Puentes Federales manages the toll.
Cars are charged 32 pesos to cross the bridge. This money helps maintain the bridge and other roads.
Gallery
See also
In Spanish: Puente Tampico para niños
