Barraca Peña Bridge, Railway and bascule bridge in La Boca district, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Barraca Peña Bridge is a steel railway crossing that spans the Riachuelo River, linking Buenos Aires with Avellaneda. The structure stretches approximately 88 meters and was designed specifically to accommodate train traffic between the two cities.
Built in 1913 by the Sud Railway Company, this crossing replaced an earlier structure positioned about 100 meters upstream. The project was part of expanding rail infrastructure in the region during the early 20th century.
The bridge name originates from a warehouse constructed by Galician businessman Francisco de la Peña y Fernández in 1774 near the former railway station.
The bridge stays raised most of the time to allow ships to pass through the Riachuelo, lowering only when cargo trains need to cross. Visitors should keep in mind that crossing times vary depending on river and rail traffic schedules.
The structure uses a Scherzer bascule mechanism with brick abutments and pillars set on concrete-filled foundations of varying depths. This construction method was an advanced engineering solution for handling the challenging river conditions at the time.
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