Viaduto do Chá, Steel and concrete viaduct in Central São Paulo, Brazil.
Viaduto do Chá is a viaduct in Central São Paulo, Brazil, that stretches 240 meters across the Anhangabaú Valley, linking older and newer parts of downtown. The steel and concrete structure measures 14 meters wide and carries both vehicles and pedestrians between the two sides of the former riverbed.
The first viaduct in São Paulo opened in 1892 with an iron frame, connecting the growing city across the valley. In 1938 it was replaced with a concrete bridge twice as wide to handle rising traffic.
The name comes from the Morro do Chá, the hill where black tea was planted, known as chá-da-Índia because it originated in India. The viaduct has long served as a backdrop for television interviews and for telenovelas and films set in downtown São Paulo, such as Tempos Modernos.
The bridge serves both pedestrians and drivers moving between Rua Direita and Rua Barão de Itapetininga in the city center. Those on foot can use the sidewalks to glance into the valley and surrounding buildings.
The toll gate was removed in 1897 after councillor Pedro Augusto Gomes Cardim brought a motion backed by a popular petition, making the crossing free. Until then a gate closed the viaduct at night. The charge had earned it the nickname Viaduto dos Três Vinténs.
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