25 De Abril Bridge is a suspension bridge and a popular tourist attraction, located in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon. 25 De Abril Bridge was built to establish connection between the Almada Municipality situated on the left bank of River Tagus and Lisbon. The official inauguration of 25 De Abril Bridge in Lisbon took place on 6th August 1966 and a rail platform was added to it, about thirty years later.
25 De Abril Bridge - a major tourist attraction in Lisbon
The 25 De Abril Bridge attracts both local and international tourists across the globe, mostly due to its rare structure and dimension, which fills up the travelers with awe. It also offers the visitors with impressive panoramic view of the entire Lisbon city, the dock areas, the Christ the King (Cristo Rei) monument at Almada, and even of Torre de Belém towards the west, across the Atlantic Ocean.
Creation of 25 De Abril Bridge
The origin of the 25 De Abril Bridge can be traced back
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to the 19th century, when proposals were being placed for constructing a bridge in Lisbon. Shortly after, numerous companies came forward for shoulder the responsibility of the construction. An open international bid occurred to finalize the company on whom the responsibility of construction would be entrusted. Ultimately, it was the American Bridge Company, which took over the construction of the 25 De Abril Bridge. However, the company was assisted by a handful of local companies to complete the construction.
Structural and Dimensional Details
With respect to the dimension and structure of the 25 De Abril Bridge, the total length of the bridge between the anchorages is 2.3 kilometers by 1.5 meters, while the main span of the bridge measures 1.013 kilometers. The carriageway of the bridge measures 70 meters and the bridge is 82 meters below the water level. Height of each of the two pylons is 190 meters by 623.5 feet. In its initial stages of inauguration, the bridge had four streets, accompanied by a barrier at its center. This barrier was removed afterwards, during the construction of a fifth street. The basic structure of the bridge is made of concrete and steel.
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