Maria Pia Bridge

Maria Pia Bridge
Maria Pia Bridge, Oporto

The Maria Pia bridge (Ponte Maria Pia), commonly known as Ponte Dona Maria, is a railway bridge built in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel in Porto, Portugal. Built of wrought iron, its two-hinged crescent arch used to carry the railway, before a modern bridge was constructed in 1991, to Lisbon for 353m across the River Douro at a height of 60m.

Eiffel's design was the least expensive of eight entries into an 1875 competition, being 31% less than the next lowest priced. The bridge was built to avoid a 12 km detour, and started on 5 January 1876 and completed on 4 November 1877. At that time its span of 160m was the longest arch bridge in the world, the previous record holder, at 156m, being the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi at St Louis. The bridge was opened by the king of Portugal and named after his queen Maria Pia.

In 1991 the bridge was superseded by the new St John (Ponte de São João) bridge, designed by engineer Edgar Cardoso.

Bibliography

  • "The Tower and the Bridge", David P. Billington, Princeton University Press, 1983

External links

Coordinates: 41°08′23″N 8°35′50″W / 41.13972°N 8.59722°W / 41.13972; -8.59722


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Maria Pia — may refer to: Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847–1911), married to Luís I of Portugal Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon Two Sicilies (1849–1882), married to Robert I, Duke of Parma Princess Maria Pia (Maria di Grazia) of Bourbon Two Sicilies… …   Wikipedia

  • Dom Luís Bridge, Porto — Luís I bridge Official name Ponte Luís I Carries Light rail (tramway) bridge / metro rail bridge Road bridge Crosses Douro Rive …   Wikipedia

  • Truss arch bridge — A truss arch bridge combines the elements of the truss bridge and the arch bridge. The actual resolution of forces will depend upon the design. If no horizontal thrusting forces are generated this becomes an arch shaped truss, essentially a bent… …   Wikipedia

  • bridge — bridge1 bridgeable, adj. bridgeless, adj. bridgelike, adj. /brij/, n., v., bridged, bridging, adj. n. 1. a structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or the like. 2. a connecting, transitional, or intermediate route or… …   Universalium

  • Timeline of three longest supported deck arch bridge spans — This is the timeline of the 3 longest supported deck arch bridge spans in the world, where the road deck lies on top of the arch. The deck is supported by columns, truss, rubble or lies directly on the arch. These bridges are often found in… …   Wikipedia

  • Gustave Eiffel — Infobox Architect caption= name= Alexandre Gustavo Eiffel nationality=French birth date=birth date|1832|12|15|mf=y birth place= Dijon, Côte d Or, France death date=death date and age|1923|12|27|1832|12|15|mf=y death place=Rue Rabelais in Paris… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks — The following is a list of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. The designation is granted to projects, structures, and sites in the United States… …   Wikipedia

  • List of bridges — The list of bridges is a link page for any bridges that are notable enough to have an article, or that are likely to have an article in the future.Afghanistan*Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge *Tajik Afghan Friendship… …   Wikipedia

  • List of historic civil engineering landmarks — The following is a partial list of historic civil engineering landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. The designation is granted to projects, structures, and sites in the United… …   Wikipedia

  • Pôrto — /pawrdd too/, n. Portuguese name of Oporto. * * * Portuguese Oporto Seaport city (pop., 2001 prelim.: 262,928), northwestern Portugal. On the right (north) bank of the Douro River, Porto was called Portus Cale in Roman times and was earlier a… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”