The Ponte de Dom Luís I floods the river Douro in Porto
This mythical bridge Porto is on all postcards in the region and you will not miss it during a stay in the second Portuguese city! If we surname Porto “the city of bridges”, the one we are talking about here is the most beautiful, majestic.
Flickr - enans16611
Started in 1881 and completed in 1886 by a student of Gustave Eiffel, the Dom-Luís bridge (or Ponte Luís I ) has two floors: the upper deck is now reserved for pedestrians and one of the city’s metro lines (line D); the lower deck is intended for road traffic, and also includes pedestrian driveways on the side.
Flickr – Jose M. Rus
Already at the beginning of the 19th century, the construction of this bridge was essential for the inhabitants as well as for the transport of goods. Until 1809, the crossing of the Douro was on a boat bridge called Boat bridge which was in fact a suite of boats torn against each other. This “deck” could be opened to allow boats sailing on the river to pass.
It should be noted that at the time the river was very wild, very agitated, since there was no dam upstream.
Flickr – Kirk K
On March 29, 1809, when Napoleon launched an invasion under the command of Marshal Soult, thousands of inhabitants of Porto who sought to flee the French bayonets during the second Napoleonic invasion to Portugal find death by drowning. The fortune bridge being too little solid and safe. More than 4,000 victims were identified that day.
It was for the little story because the Pont Maria Pia , of which it looks very much, was put into service well before, in November 1877. The Dom-Luís Bridge was built to defraud road traffic in Porto towards the end of the 19th century.
Flickr – Chris Stephenson
Where is the Dom-Luís Bridge in Porto?
It is located on the Douro, close to the Ribeira district. It connects the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
Some key figures from the Dom-Luís Bridge :
Address: Ponte Luís I, Porto, Portugal Construction start: 1881 Total length: 385 metres Date of Operation: 1886 Maximum span length: 172 meters Height: 45 m
Flickr – Dan Nelson
What do you think of this magnificent bridge that is immanquable during a stay in Porto?
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