Ponte romano, Roman bridge in Porto Torres, Italy

Ponte romano is a Roman bridge in Porto Torres that crosses the Rio Mannu river with seven arches made from limestone and trachyte stone. The structure measures 135 meters long and demonstrates precise Roman engineering techniques.

Built in the Imperial period, the bridge linked Turris Libisonis with the Nurra wheat fields, the Argentiera mines and Karales, today's Cagliari. In 1839 Sassari hired mason Olia Proto to repair it for 1,637 Sardinian lire, and in 1856 the two towns agreed to share restoration costs, three fifths paid by Sassari.

Two bas-reliefs linked to Dionysus, protector of the bridge, are still visible on the structure, along with marks left by the Romans or Byzantines. The bridge also gave its name to the whole area on the west bank of the Riu Mannu where the Ferromin company set up its plants in the early 20th century, now known as the "ex-Ferromin area".

The bridge lies at the mouth of the Rio Mannu, on the western edge of Porto Torres, and can be reached on foot from the town. Its surface was covered with asphalt from the early 20th century until 2020, when restoration work brought the original large trachyte paving stones back into view. It carried both light and heavy vehicles until the 1980s, when traffic headed for the SIR petrochemical complex still crossed it.

A wooden elevated walkway runs the entire length of the bridge to protect the original Roman trachyte pavement from wear. This design allows visitors to see the 2000-year-old stonework without damaging it.