Guadiana International Bridge, Cable-stayed road bridge over the Guadiana between Ayamonte, Spain and Castro Marim, Portugal
The Guadiana International Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge over the Guadiana River, linking Ayamonte in Spain with Castro Marim in Portugal. Its light grey concrete pylon rises from a base set in the water, splits into two angled legs above the deck and carries stay cables fanning down to both deck edges. The deck is 666 metres long with a 324-metre central span, and the towers reach 95 and 96 metres.
Construction followed an agreement between Portugal and Spain established in 1985, marking a turning point for cross-border infrastructure. Planning efforts had started decades earlier in the 1960s before the project came to fruition.
The bridge joins two regions that were once separated by the river, now enabling direct exchange between Andalusia and the Algarve. It has become an everyday crossing point for people commuting or traveling between the two countries.
The bridge carries the A22 motorway on the Portuguese side and the A-49 on the Spanish side, and forms part of European route E1. It is open to vehicles only; pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed to cross. The deck stands 20 metres above the river, so the crossing is short and exposed to wind.
The Spanish tower stands on an artificial island built within the riverbed, while the Portuguese tower is anchored to natural ground. This difference in foundation methods reflects the engineering challenges that had to be solved for the river conditions on each side.
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