Dom Pedro II Bridge ((), also Dom Pedro II Imperial Bridge ) is a bridge between

Cachoeira Cachoeira ( Portuguese, meaning waterfall) is an inland municipality of Bahia, Brazil, on the Paraguaçu River. The town exports sugar, cotton, and tobacco and is a thriving commercial and industrial centre. The municipality contains 56% of the ...

and São Félix,

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It crosses the

Paraguaçu River The Paraguaçu River () is a river in Bahia state, located in eastern Brazil. It runs from the Chapada Diamantina highlands of central Bahia to its mouth at the Baía de Todos os Santos. The Paraguaçu River is the largest river entirely within B ...

and serves as an automotive, rail, and pedestrian bridge. The bridge was inaugurated on July 7, 1885, was one of the main engineering works in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

at the time. It is composed of iron and wood ballast imported from England and measures long and wide with spans of . Construction of the bridge opened rail traffic between

Feira de Santana Feira de Santana (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 616,272 according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, ...

north of

Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...

and the

Chapada Diamantina Chapada Diamantina (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for the "Diamond Plateau") is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast of Brazil. This mountain range is known as “Serra do Espinhaço,” in Minas Gerais state, ...

in the interior of Bahia in the 19th century. The dual use of the bridge, however, for vehicle traffic and the Estrada de Ferro Central da Bahia (EFCBH) trunk line causes significant transportation bottlenecks in both Cachoeira and São Félix. The central pillar of the bridge sits on a small island in the river. It is covered with vegetation and is considered a sacred space of the

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, especi ...

religion.

Access

The bridge is open to the public and may be visited.

References

{{reflist, 2, refs= {{cite news , url=https://atarde.uol.com.br/cultura/exposicao/noticias/2083369-ponte-dom-pedro-ii-e-tema-de-exposicao-em-cachoeira#:~:text=A%20ponte%20Dom%20Pedro%20II,nesta%20sexta%2Dfeira%2C%2016.&text=Constru%C3%ADda%20com%20ferro%2C%20a%20ponte,inaugurada%20em%20julho%20de%201885. , title=Ponte Dom Pedro II é tema de exposição em Cachoeira , language=pt , work=

A Tarde ''Jornal A Tarde'', widely known as ''A Tarde'', is a daily newspaper published in Bahia, Brazil. The paper was founded by the journalist and politician on 15 October 1912. It is currently the oldest circulating newspaper of Bahia, and the larg ...

, location=Salvador, Bahia , date=2019-08-14 , accessdate=2020-08-12 {{cite book , last = Buzelin , first = José Emílio de Castro H. , title = Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica : uma ferrovia e suas raízes , publisher = Memória do Trem , location = Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil , year = 2001 , isbn = 9788586094026 , page = 79 {{cite Q, Q106036478, page=427 {{cite book , title=Terreiros de candomblé de Cachoeira e São Félix , editor-last=Lobo , editor-first=Graça , editor2-last=Pellegrino Filho , editor2-first=Antonio Roberto , location=Salvador, Bahia , publisher=Fundação Pedro Calmon , year=2015 , page=224-225 Buildings and structures in Bahia Railway bridges in Brazil Bridges completed in 1885 Road-rail bridges Transport in Bahia