Vasco da Gama Bridge

The Vasco da Gama Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and rangeviews that spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nações in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), with a total length of 12.3km, including 0.8km for the main bridge and 11.5km in viaducts. The Bridge is served by 4.8km of dedicated access roads. It was built to alleviate the congestion on Lisbon's 25 de Abril Bridge, and eliminate the need for traffic between the country's northern and southern regions to pass through the capital city.Construction began on February 1995; the bridge was opened to traffic on 29 March 1998, just in time for Expo 98, the World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to India.DescriptionThe bridge carries six road lanes, with a speed limit of 120km/h, the same as that on motorways, except on one section which is limited to 100km/h. On windy, rainy, and foggy days, the speed limit is reduced to 90km/h. The number of road lanes will be enlarged to eight when traffic reaches a daily average of 52,000.Bridge and access road sectionsNorth access roads: 945mNorth viaduct: 488mExpo viaduct: 672m; 12 sectionsMain bridge: main span: 420m; side spans: 203m each (total length: 829m); cement pillars: 150m-high; free height for navigation in high tides: 45m;Central viaduct: 6.351km; 80 pre-fabricated sections 78m-long; 81 pillars up to 95m-deep; height from 14m to 30mSouth viaduct: 3.825km; 45m sections; 84 sections; 85 pillarsSouth access roads: 3.895km; includes the toll plaza (18 gates) and two service areas