Ponte do Guaíba, Road bridge in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Ponte do Guaíba is a road bridge that spans across Lake Guaíba, linking Porto Alegre to the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul state. The structure includes older sections and a newer extension with multiple lanes carrying traffic in both directions.
Construction of the original bridge started in 1955 and was finished in 1958, creating the first fixed connection between Porto Alegre and the southern municipalities. A newer section opened in 2020 to handle growing traffic demands.
The bridge serves as a daily pathway for residents and workers moving between the city and communities to the south. It has become part of how people in the region think about connections and belonging.
The crossing is open to all vehicles and becomes very crowded during rush hours, especially in the morning and evening. Drivers should expect longer travel times and plan their journeys with flexibility.
The new span completed in 2020 is tall enough at approximately 36 meters to allow ships to pass underneath without stopping traffic. This was a major improvement over the older structure, which required regular closures.
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