Ponte Ernesto Dornelles, Road bridge over the Rio das Antas between Bento Gonçalves and Veranópolis, Brazil

Ponte Ernesto Dornelles carries the BR-470 across the Rio das Antas between Bento Gonçalves and Veranópolis. Its reinforced concrete deck runs between two parallel arches with a free span of 186 metres between the abutments on the riverbanks, and the roadway is 227 metres long. No pillar stands in the riverbed.

The sources document no construction dates for the Ponte Ernesto Dornelles; the 1942 and 1952 dates in earlier versions are not supported. What is recorded is its designer, the engineer Antonio Alves de Noronha, a full professor at the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who led the Noronha S.A. office and produced numerous structural calculation projects across Brazil. The bridge carries the BR-470 between Bento Gonçalves and Veranópolis.

The bridge became a symbol of regional progress and appears on the official logo of Rio Grande do Sul's highway department, shaping how locals view their area's development. Its form is immediately recognizable to people from the region as a mark of achievement.

The bridge sits on federal highway BR-470 and connects Bento Gonçalves and Veranópolis with a wide, well-maintained roadway. Visitors can view it from their vehicle or try to spot it from the riverbank below if access points are available.

The bridge was designed by Antonio Alves de Noronha, a professor at the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro who led the Noronha S.A. engineering office and produced many other structural calculations in Brazil. It also appears on the logo of the Rio Grande do Sul state highway department (DAER), even though the BR-470 now belongs to the federal government.