Ponte de Gundián, Railway bridge in Gundián, Galicia, Spain
Ponte de Gundián is a railway viaduct over the Ulla River between Ponte Ulla (Vedra, A Coruña) and San Miguel de Castro (A Estrada, Pontevedra). Built of stone over an iron framework, it is 219 m long and rises 86 m above the river; its central arch reaches 133 m altitude, 78 m above the riverbed. It stands on two quartzite rock outcrops at the Paso da Cova, a gorge about 50 m deep.
The first project for the Zamora–A Coruña line was drafted in 1928 by Casimiro Juanes Díaz-Santos, but the viaduct was not built until 1945–1956. Work stopped between 1949 and 1951 because labourers were moved to other stretches of the line. The bridge was inaugurated in September 1958.
The viaduct is a regular subject for photographers and walkers in the area. From the Gundián viewpoint beside the bridge begins a roughly 15 km hiking route that runs parallel to the Ulla, passing several recreation areas and a restored mill along the way.
The best vantage point for viewing the bridge is from a designated area near the chapel of Gundián. From here you get a clear view of the entire structure and the valley below.
A second viaduct of the high-speed Olmedo–Zamora–Galicia line was built in 2008 only 130 m from the old bridge; over 1 km long, it won the San Telmo Prize from Galicia's civil engineers. From the Gundián viewpoint a 15 km walking route follows the Ulla, passing recreation areas and a restored mill.
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