The Currents Bridge (''puente de las Corrientes'' in Spanish), is a

tied-arch bridge A tied-arch bridge is an arch bridge in which the outward-directed horizontal forces of the arch(es) are borne as tension by a chord tying the arch ends rather than by the ground or the bridge foundations. This strengthened chord may be the deck ...

that crosses the

Lérez The Lérez is a river in South West Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. The river meets the Atlantic Ocean at Pontevedra, where it creates Pontevedra's ria. The sources of the long stream are in Serra do Candán, in the mountain of San Bieito, in t ...

River in the city of

Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of both the ''Pontevedra (comarca), Comarca'' and Province of Pontevedra, and the capital of the Rías Baixas. It is als ...

, Spain. It was inaugurated in 2012 and connects Uruguay Avenue and Domingo Fontán Street.

History

The location of the bridge is known as ''The Currents'' ''(Las Corrientes)'', because this is where the waters of the Rons river meet those of the

river and the ria of Pontevedra. Since 1989, the construction of a new bridge in this place of ''The Currents'' was planned to connect the two banks of the Lérez river. However, it was not until the beginning of the 21st century that this idea was taken up again to provide another exit from the city centre to the north and the beaches of the

ria de Pontevedra The Ria de Pontevedra is located in the Province of Pontevedra, in Galicia, Spain. It is one of the three main maritime entrances of Galicia, the Rías Baixas, the most touristic area of the region. It is also the most regular of them and the thi ...

and direct access to the AP-9 motorway, In 2008, the city council organised an ideas competition to decide on the design of the new bridge. In the end, one of the proposals for an

was chosen because it combined modernity and integration into the urban environment, as the 10-metre height of its two metal arches was not considered excessive so as not to obstruct the view of the

Basilica of Saint Mary Major Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. The largest Marian church in Rome, it is ...

. Construction of the bridge began on 23 December 2008. It was inaugurated on 28 June 2012 with its opening to road traffic.

Description

This bridge has a total length between

abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end that provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...

s ( span) of 116 metres. Its main structure consists of two parallel arches made of 10.5-metre high white steel tubes from which 17 steel stays are suspended to support the

bridge deck A deck is the surface of a bridge. A structural element of its superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildin ...

. The steel arches are supported on reinforced concrete

foundations Foundation(s) or The Foundation(s) may refer to: Common uses * Foundation (cosmetics), a skin-coloured makeup cream applied to the face * Foundation (engineering), the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads f ...

. Its structure is light, elegant and diaphanous. It has two roads in each direction and two

cycle paths Cycle, cycles, or cyclic may refer to: Anthropology and social sciences * Cyclic history, a theory of history * Cyclical theory, a theory of American political history associated with Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. * Social cycle, various cycles in ...

. On both sides of the bridge there is a covered pedestrian bridge. Pedestrian and cycle traffic is separated from motorised traffic. The functionality of the bridge has been designed with a pedestrian underground passage with natural light through the upper

roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

on Uruguay Avenue. This pedestrian underground passage, which runs under the bridge, is protected on the side of the

ria A ria (; , feminine noun derived from ''río'', river) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendriti ...

by a glass screen, so that the water can be seen during high tides when the sea level rises.

Gallery

File:Pontevedra-Puente de las Corrientes a la izquierda (14901374193).jpg File:Pontevedra-Miles de luces en el puente de las corrientes (8446403770).jpg, Bridge at night File:Pontevedra-Ponte das correntes-151 (7904816880).jpg, Bicycle path and footbridge File:Pontevedra-Puente de las corrientes y su reflejo (9226462495).jpg File:Pontevedra-La noche en el puente de las corrientes24 (8450543414).jpg File:Pontevedra Capital Puente de las Corrientes, puerto deportivo y barrio del Burgo.jpg, Bridge and marina File:Pontevedra-Puente de las corrientes vacío (8746210139).jpg File:Pontevedra-Ponte das correntes-110 (7745306130).jpg File:Pontevedra-Puente de las Corrientes a la derecha (14694828610).jpg File:Pôntevedra-Puente de las corrientes a final de año (11677568784).jpg File:Pontevedra-Luces en el puente de las corrientes (8520884722).jpg File:Ponte das Correntes, Pontevedra.jpg, Lower section File:Pontevedra-Ponte das correntes-095 (7800647026).jpg, Pedestrian walkway File:Pontevedra Capital Avenida de Orillamar y puente de las Corrientes.jpg, Bridge and Uruguay Avenue

History

Description

Gallery

References

See also

Related articles

External links