Barca Bridge, Deck arch bridge between Pontevedra and Poio, Spain
Barca Bridge is a deck arch bridge over the Lérez River between Pontevedra and Poio. Its main span is a 72-metre reinforced concrete arch, with two lower 25-metre masonry arches on the landward sides. The concrete pillars are clad in granite and carry bas-reliefs at their base.
The first low wooden bridge opened in 1871, with a lifting section for ships bound for the Galera and Burgo quays. A metal bridge designed by Luis Acosta and Eduardo Fungueiriño was inaugurated on 3 July 1905, with a 75-metre central arch. In 1945 work began to replace it with a 72-metre concrete arch by Eduardo Torroja Miret, completed in 1950.
The bridge stands near the Portuguese Route of the Ways of St James, connecting the regions where Benedictine monks controlled river crossings since 1197.
The bridge is 200 metres long and 13 metres wide, with two vehicle lanes and two pavements. A wooden awning covers the pavements to shelter pedestrians from winter wind and rain. The south abutment was widened in 1989 to carry Corbaceiras Avenue, and the north one in 1991 for the AP-9.
Before the current bridge was built, this crossing point was controlled by the Society of Seamen of Pontevedra. The disputes over management eventually prompted local interests to establish a society dedicated to building the bridge.
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