Vasco da Gama Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vasco da Gama Bridge |
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Aerial view of the bridge
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| Coordinates | 38°45′43″N 9°02′35″W / 38.762°N 9.043°W |
| Carries | Six road lanes of IP 1 A 12 |
| Crosses | Tagus River |
| Locale | |
| Official name | Ponte Vasco da Gama |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| Maintained by | Lusoponte (1994–2030) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed, viaducts |
| Total length | 12.345 km (7.671 mi) |
| Width | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Height | 148 m (486 ft) (pylon) |
| Longest span | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
| History | |
| Designer | Armando Rito |
| Construction begin | February 1995 |
| Construction end | March 1998 |
| Opened | 29 March 1998 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll |
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The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Vasco da Gama) is a very long bridge in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. It crosses the wide Tagus River. This bridge is special because it's a mix of a cable-stayed bridge and several long viaducts.
It's one of the longest bridges in Europe and the longest one completely within the European Union. The bridge was built to help reduce traffic on another busy bridge in Lisbon, the 25 de Abril Bridge. It also makes it easier for cars to travel between the north and south of Portugal without going through the busy city center.
Building the bridge started in February 1995, and it opened on March 29, 1998. This was just in time for Expo 98, a big World's Fair. The fair celebrated 500 years since Vasco da Gama found the sea route from Europe to India. The bridge is named after him!
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About the Bridge
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The Vasco da Gama Bridge has six lanes for cars. Most of the time, cars can drive up to 120 km/h (75 mph) on it, just like on a highway. But in some parts, the speed limit is 100 km/h (60 mph). If it's windy, rainy, or foggy, the speed limit drops to 90 km/h (56 mph) to keep everyone safe.
If more cars start using the bridge every day, it can be made even wider. It can be expanded to have eight lanes in the future!
Bridge Sections
The bridge is made up of several different parts:
- North Access Roads: These are the roads leading up to the bridge from the north side, about 945 m (3,100 ft) long.
- North Viaduct: This part is 488 m (1,601 ft) long.
- Expo Viaduct: This section is 672 m (2,205 ft) long and has 12 parts.
- Main Bridge: This is the most famous part. It has a main span of 420 m (1,378 ft) and two side spans, each 203 m (666 ft) long. The tall cement pillars are about 150 m (492 ft) high. Ships can pass underneath, as there's 45 m (148 ft) of space even at high tide.
- Central Viaduct: This is a very long part, about 6.351 km (3.95 mi). It's made of 80 big pre-made sections, each 78 m (256 ft) long. It stands on 81 pillars that go deep into the ground, up to 95 m (312 ft) deep! The height of this section ranges from 14 m (46 ft) to 30 m (98 ft).
- South Viaduct: This section is 3.825 km (2.38 mi) long, with 84 sections and 85 pillars.
- South Access Roads: These roads lead off the bridge on the south side, about 3.895 km (2.42 mi) long. They include the toll plaza, which has 18 gates, and two service areas for drivers.
Building the Bridge
The Vasco da Gama Bridge cost about $1.1 billion to build. The project was so big that it was split into four parts. Different companies built each part, and a special group of experts watched over everything to make sure it was done right.
At one point, about 3,300 workers were building the bridge at the same time! It took 18 months to get everything ready and another 18 months to actually build it.
A private company called Lusoponte helped pay for the bridge. In return, they get to collect tolls (money from drivers) from both the Vasco da Gama Bridge and the 25 de Abril Bridge for 40 years. This company is owned by groups from Portugal, France, and Britain.
Built to Last
The bridge is designed to last for 120 years. Engineers made sure it could handle very strong winds, up to 250 km/h (155 mph). It was also built to survive an earthquake that is 4.5 times stronger than the usual building standards in Lisbon!
Some of the deepest parts of the bridge's foundation go down 95 m (312 ft) below the sea level. This helps make it super strong.
During construction, people wanted to protect the environment. So, the viaducts on the left side of the river were made longer to avoid harming the marshes underneath. Also, the streetlights on the bridge are tilted inwards so their light doesn't shine on the river below, which helps protect the animals living there.
Toll Information
If you are driving north towards Lisbon on the bridge, you have to pay a toll. But if you are driving south, away from Lisbon, it's free! The toll booths are located on the south side of the Tagus River, near Montijo. In 2020, the cost for a regular car was about €2.85, while large trucks paid up to €12.20.
See Also
In Spanish: Puente Vasco da Gama para niños
- 25 de Abril Bridge
- Lezíria Bridge
- List of bridges by length
- Megaproject
