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My Escapes Portugal Another Lovely Trip to Portugal! Lisbon In Lisbon Again The 25 de Abril Bridge

The 25 de Abril Bridge

September 11, 2014
April 29, 2014

At the glimpse of Lisbon's majestic 25 de Abril Bridge, one might think of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.
Although smaller in size, it's still an imposing structure, spanning in excess of 2 km between two pieces of land, above the vast Rio Tejo.

It's a stunning sight and I chose to check it out from closer. It's a stunning, massive engineering achievement.

Looks similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which has 2.7 km.
The 25 de Abril Bridge has 2.2 km in length, so the difference in length is not so big.


25 de Abril Bridge

The 25 de Abril Bridge spanning cross the vast river...

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The exact length of this bridge is 2,277.64 m, the longest span is 1,012.88 m and runs 70 m above water. And, it's the 23rd longest suspension bridge in the World (as of mid-2014).

The bridge connects Lisbon with Almada.

Built during the Salazar regime in 1966, it was initially named Ponte Salzar (Salazar Bridge).


Boat traffic around the bridge

There's quite intense boat traffic in the area

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In 1974, it was re-named (following the Carnation Revolution): 25 de Abril Bridge - needless to translate.

So, ironically, the bridge's name commemorates the revolution, which ended the regime that built it!


Painted dolphins and whales

Ingenious idea to paint dolphins and whales on the pillar's base

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It's an immense bridge and it adds to the scenic view...

You'll feel its size better if you take a stroll along the Rio Tejo and walk right under it. It has the height of a smaller high-rise building.

The water's depth is around 80 m in the vicinity of the bridge, which runs 70 m above its surface.


Quiet sight

Serene moment...

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I experienced an unmistakable noise produced by the trains crossing the 25 de Abril Bridge.

The tracks run underneath the the lanes used by cars. So, it's a bridge with two levels.

Living in the immediate vicinity must be rough. Every now and then, trains crossed it, making a terrible loud noise...


Dusk near the bridge

Dusk at the marina

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I hear, more than 150 trains run across it every day. Imagine hearing that on a daily basis!

Underneath the bridge, beautiful sailing ships, yachts, but even large cruise ships sail across...

It's colossal!

It's colossal!

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And it's even romantic and serene watching the beautiful sailing yachts mildly float under the monolithic light crimson bridge.

I took a very long west-east stroll along Rio Tejo, from the town of Belém, walking slowly to the street art-decorated Alcântara station.

But before leaving, I stopped by at a bar just under the bridge, to drink a cold gin tonic.

This was one of my most memorable walks in Portugal...

















Escape Hunter

About the Author:

Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...



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