Arouca 516 is one of the world's longest pedestrian
suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
s, located in the municipality of
Arouca, in the
North Region and the Aveiro District of Portugal. The bridge has a length of . It is suspended 175 m (574 ft) above the
Paiva River
The Paiva River () is a river that rises in the Sierra de Leomil, more specifically in the parish of Pêra Velha, Aldeia de Nacomba e Ariz - belonging to the municipality of Moimenta da Beira - and flows into the Douro, in Castelo de Paiva, flowi ...
, which it spans.
Its name is a reference to its extension in meters and the municipality where it is located.
Its length exceeds by the
Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge in Switzerland, opened on 29 July 2017, by about .
Construction of the bridge started in May 2018.
It opened on 29 April 2021 to residents of the municipality and on 2 May to the general public, with prior purchase of tickets online. Access to the bridge is possible either from
Canelas or
Alvarenga and a guide always accompanies visitor groups. The first person to cross the bridge was Hugo Xavier.
The bridge was designed by the Portuguese research institution Itecons
and constructed by Conduril Engenharia, S.A.,
at a cost of approximately €2.3 million.
See also
*
List of notable pedestrian bridges
References
External links
* {{official, 516arouca.pt/en
Alternate website
Pedestrian bridges in Portugal
Suspension bridges in Portugal
Bridges completed in 2021
2021 establishments in Portugal
Bridges in Aveiro District
Buildings and structures in Arouca, Portugal