Puente giratorio de Ensenada, Railway swing bridge in Ensenada, Argentina.
The Puente giratorio de Ensenada is an iron swing bridge at the junction of Almafuerte Avenue and Santa Fe Street, where it spans the Canal Oeste to link the town with the port area. Its movable span pivots to let trains cross and to open the waterway for vessels. The parts were ordered from the English firm Frodymgham, Iron & Steel.
It opened in December 1913 as part of Argentina's first railway line connecting two major ports. The line transformed regional trade by enabling faster movement of goods between these shipping centers.
The bridge's name comes from its rotating span, which turned to let trains reach the port over the Canal Oeste. It belonged to the Buenos Aires–Puerto de Ensenada railway, the country's first inter-port line, absorbed by Ferrocarril Sud in 1898. Its 1908 construction stemmed from an agreement between Ferrocarril Sud and the Muelles y Depósitos company to cut tolls inside the port.
The bridge is located where Santa Fe and Almafuerte streets meet, making it easy to find as a central landmark. You can view the structure best from street level and surrounding areas, getting a clear perspective of its size and design.
The steel components were made by English manufacturer Frodymgham Iron & Steel and faced shipping delays from Europe. A dock strike in London during 1911 significantly postponed the arrival of the bridge materials in Argentina.
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