Apart from its usefulness, we love looking at the 25 de Abril Bridge, because it’s so beautiful… and these photos are proof of that.
And when we cross it, we see our city from a different perspective and in its entirety, and that alone makes the crossing worthwhile.
What’s more, the bridge has a vast and interesting history. We’re going to show you some curiosities, so you can get to know the 25 de Abril Bridge better.
10 interesting facts about the 25 de Abril Bridge
1 – Inaugurated in 1966
The bridge began to be built in 1962 and was inaugurated in 1966 .
2 – It was once called Salazar Bridge
Initially, the bridge was named Ponte Salazar, in honor of António de Oliveira Salazar.
Later, during the Revolution of April 25, 1974, the bridge was renamed to the name we know today.
3 – The first car to cross the bridge
The first car to cross the bridge was a green Austin Seven. Over the next few hours, another 50,000 cars crossed the bridge .
4 – 70 meters from the Tagus River
It’s 70 meters above the water, and its highest point is 190 meters! In total, it’ s about 2.2 km long.
5 – For cars and trains
This is a road-rail suspension bridge. This means that the bridge has one deck for cars and another for the train that crosses the river.
6 – The American twin
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (USA) is said to beour bridge’s twin sister . They share a common appearance: they are both suspension bridges and have a very beautiful red color.
But the real inspiration comes from another bridge in the same US city, the Bay Bridge, which despite being white is even more like ours.
7 – 11 million euros
It cost around 11 million euros to build (not bad for the time) and three thousand workers a day were involved in the project.
8 – 150,000 cars a day
After the bridge was inaugurated, 6 million cars passed by in 1970. Today, we can expect around 150,000 cars a day.
9 – The most beautiful in Europe
It was voted the most beautiful bridge in Europe in 2014 by European Best Destination. We already knew that, but it’s always nice when our neighbors admire what’s ours.
10 – Over 50 years old
In August 2016, our bridge celebrated its 50th anniversary.
