Ponte Isidro Reis, Iron truss bridge in Chamusca e Pinheiro Grande and Golegã, Portugal.
Ponte Isidro Reis is an iron truss bridge spanning the Tagus River in approximately 750 meters across eleven sections. It carries two traffic lanes and has separate pathways for pedestrians along its entire crossing.
The bridge was constructed by French engineering company Fives-Lille and opened on August 31, 1909. It ended the reliance on ferry service and permanently linked the municipalities of Chamusca and Golegã for the first time.
The bridge carries the name of João Joaquim Isidro dos Reis, a Portuguese politician who championed its construction in the late 1800s. Through this naming, it stands as a tribute to his efforts in connecting these two regions.
Pedestrians and vehicles share the structure, with cars and trucks using the center lanes while walkers stay on the outer pathways. The location is accessible year-round, though strong wind or bad weather can make crossing less comfortable.
The bridge was a remarkable engineering feat for its era, with French engineers designing an innovative structure to span the wide and powerful Tagus passage. Visitors often overlook how the bridge segments have subtly different lengths to work optimally with river currents.
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