Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridge Complex |
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![]() The Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridge
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Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Carries | National Route 12, General Urquiza Railway |
Crosses | Paraná River |
Locale | Zárate, Buenos Aires, and Entre Ríos |
Official name | Complejo Unión Nacional |
Preceded by | Rosario-Victoria Bridge |
Characteristics | |
Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
Total length | 550 m (1,804 ft) |
Longest span | 330 m (1,083 ft) |
History | |
Construction begin | November, 1971 |
Opened | December 14, 1977 |
The Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges are two very important bridges in Argentina. They are special because they carry both cars and trains! These bridges cross the wide Paraná River, connecting the cities of Zárate in Buenos Aires Province and Brazo Largo in Entre Ríos Province.
These bridges help connect the north of Buenos Aires with the southern part of the Argentine Mesopotamia. They also make it easier to travel between Argentina and its neighboring countries, Uruguay and Brazil.
Contents
Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges: Connecting Argentina
The Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges are a pair of cable-stayed bridges. This means their main part is held up by strong cables connected to tall towers. They are a big part of Argentina's transportation system.
What Makes These Bridges Special?
These bridges are quite long and tall. Each bridge has a suspended length of about 550 meters (1,804 feet). The main part of the bridge, called the main span, stretches 330 meters (1,083 feet) without any support from below.
The tall towers, called pylons, reach up to 110 meters (361 feet) high. The part of the bridge where cars and trains travel is about 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) thick. These bridges were built between 1972 and 1977. An Italian engineer named Fabrizio de Miranda designed them. They were later updated in 1998 to keep them in great shape.
Connecting Places and People
The Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges are super important for travel and trade. They link the northern part of Buenos Aires Province with the southern part of the Argentine Mesopotamia region.
The road on the bridges has four lanes, making it easy for many cars to cross at once. The main part of the bridge is 50 meters (164 feet) above the water. This high clearance allows even very large ships to pass underneath safely on the Paraná River.
The Two Bridges: Names to Remember
Even though we often talk about them as "the Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges," there are actually two separate bridges. Each one crosses a different branch of the Paraná River.
The bridge that crosses the Paraná de las Palmas branch is named "Bartolomé Mitre". The other bridge, which crosses the Paraná Guazú branch, is called "Justo José de Urquiza". Both names honor important figures in Argentine history.
See also
In Spanish: Complejo ferrovial Zárate-Brazo Largo para niños