Italia Viaduct, Highway bridge in Laino Borgo, Italy
The Italia Viaduct is a highway bridge in Laino Borgo, southern Italy, crossing the gorge of the Lao River with nineteen spans. The structure rises 144 meters above the river and stretches 1161 meters in length through the mountainous landscape of Calabria.
Three engineers designed the viaduct in 1964 following a national competition, and construction began shortly after in the Calabrian mountain region. The bridge was completed as part of the A2 motorway, which forms the main north-south route through the southern mainland.
This infrastructure connects the municipalities of Laino Borgo and Laino Castello, serving as a vital link in the Mediterranean Highway A2 network.
Motorists cross the bridge daily on the motorway without being able to stop, as it forms part of a continuous highway route. Those wishing to view the structure from outside can see it from several points along the old roads below the viaduct.
For decades the viaduct held the title of Europe's highest bridge until a French structure took that position in 2004. The four main pillars support a steel deck section of 425 meters that floats over the deepest part of the gorge.
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