Pyrenees Guide

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  Puente Colgante

The Vizcaya Bridge (Bizkaiko Zubia in Basque, Puente de Vizcaya in Spanish), commonly named Puente Colgante is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo in the Biscay province of Spain, crossing the mouth of the Nervion River, very near Bilbao.

It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893, designed by Alberto Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel's disciples. It was the solution given by the engineer to the problem of connecting the two towns without disrupting the maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao and without having to build a massive structure with long ramps.  It was a revolutionary work of engineering and was the world's first transporter bridge, allowing boats to cross underneath at the same time, thanks to the hanging gondola that moves from one side to the other. This technique was later used on many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and America.

The service was only interrupted four years during the Spanish Civil War, when the upper section was dynamited. On July 13th of 2006 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Vizcaya Bridge was the first Industrial Heritage Site declared in Spain. UNESCO describes it as "a perfect combination of functionality and aesthetic beauty, in an exceptional expression of technical creativity".

The bridge, still in use, is 164 meters long and its gondola can transport six cars and several dozens of passengers in one minute and a half. It operates from 05:00 to 22:00 every 8 minutes all year round and is integrated into Bilbao's transport system, the same ticket used for the underground and bus systems can be used to cross the bridge. There is a new touristic lift installed in the 50 meter high pillars of the bridge that allows to walk over the bridge's platform, from where the tourists can see the port and the bay.

Photo Source: Gran Hotel Puente Colgante