São Vicente Suspension Bridge, Suspension bridge in São Vicente, Brazil

The São Vicente Suspension Bridge links the island of São Vicente to the mainland between Morro dos Barbosas and Japuí. Its deck, 6.4 metres wide, hangs from 16 steel cables between four concrete-covered metal towers 20 metres high, with a 180-metre span. The wooden floor sits 4 to 6.5 metres above the sea depending on the tide.

The bridge was proposed in 1910 by the Sanitation Commission of Santos under Francisco Saturnino de Brito, to carry a sewage pipeline from Santos and São Vicente to the Atlantic at Itaipu in Praia Grande. Material was imported from Germany and arrived on ten ships; the pontoons were installed in 1911. It opened on 21 or 24 May 1914, with Washington Luís, then mayor of São Paulo, the first to cross by car. CONDEPHAAT listed it on 30 April 1982.

The bridge represents Brazilian engineering excellence from the early 20th century, receiving heritage status recognition in 1982 for its architectural value.

The bridge welcomes both vehicles and pedestrians, offering views of the strait from either side. The quietest times to cross are in early morning or late afternoon when traffic is lighter.

The 2015 restoration replaced all 16 load-bearing cables with new ones imported from Italy, using temporary towers to hold the span during the work. It was the first cable replacement of its kind on a suspension bridge in Brazil, and the fifth such operation in the world.