Maria Pia Bridge, 19th century railway bridge in Porto, Portugal
Maria Pia Bridge is a wrought iron railway viaduct in northern Portugal that spans 160 meters across the Douro River between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Its arch of riveted metal girders rises 61 meters above the riverbed and rests on masonry abutments at both banks.
French engineer Gustave Eiffel completed this railroad structure in 1877, giving it the longest single-span arch in the world at that time. The crossing served train traffic between Porto and northern Portugal until 1991, when it was replaced by a more modern structure.
This railway crossing takes its name from Queen Maria Pia of Savoy, who linked Portugal and Italy through royal marriage in the late 1800s. The structure gained status as a National Monument in 1982, reflecting its importance in the country's industrial development.
The viaduct is no longer in service for rail traffic but can be viewed from the riverbanks. Both the Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront areas offer sightlines to the metal framework above the water.
The parabolic arch achieves a span of 37.5 meters and used a then-novel building system of prefabricated iron parts. This prefabrication technique influenced many later crossings in Europe and overseas.
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