Angostura Bridge

Angostura Bridge is a steel suspension span crossing the Orinoco River in Soledad, Venezuela, linking both banks across a distance of roughly 1680 meters. The structure rises on two tall main towers reaching 119 meters in height and carries four traffic lanes plus two walkways on a deck set 17 meters above the water surface.

Construction began on December 19, 1962, under President Rómulo Betancourt and the span opened on January 6, 1967, during the government of Raúl Leoni. Completion of the project ended decades of planning for a fixed crossing at this point along the river.

The span replaced ferry crossings that once defined daily life for riverside communities, changing how people move between the northern coast and the interior. Locals still refer to the crossing point by its traditional geographic name tied to a nearby river mouth.

The crossing sits about five kilometers from Ciudad Bolívar and offers a clearance of 57 meters above the lowest water level for vessel traffic. Visitors can use the walkways but should prepare for windy conditions and daytime heat, since there is little shade on the deck.

At completion in 1967, this structure ranked as the ninth largest suspension span in the world and the first of its kind in Latin America. The distance between the main towers surpassed most contemporary crossings outside North America and Europe.

Location: Soledad

Inception: 1967

Official opening: January 6, 1967

Height: 119 m

Length: 1,678.5 m

Longest Span: 712 m

Made from material: steel

GPS coordinates: 8.14444,-63.59806

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31