Puente Las Cucharas, Railway bridge in Viña del Mar, Chile.
Puente Las Cucharas is a railway bridge connecting Viña del Mar and Quilpué by spanning the Marga Marga estuary. The structure carries two railway tracks supported by masonry pillars with arches beneath.
French firms Casa Schneider and Compañía del Creusot built this steel structure between 1908 and 1913, replacing an earlier wooden structure. This replaced the older 1856 crossing and improved railway capacity in the region.
This structure linked the coastal city with inland towns during a period of rapid growth. The bridge became a symbol of how rail transport shaped the region's development.
You can view the bridge from nearby streets or paths on both sides of the estuary. The best vantage points are from below or along the waterside areas where the full structure is visible.
During construction, trains continued running without interruption while the new bridge was built alongside the existing line. This unusual feat shows the engineering skill required to maintain operations during such a major transition.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
