One of the most famous bridges over the Douro connects Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia. However, the Ponte Luís I is not just a transport link, it is one of the most impressive sights in Porto.
The bridge was named after the then King Dom Luís I. Colloquially it is just called Ponte Luís I, but the full name is Ponte de D. Luí, with the D standing for Dom. However, the king is said to have never visited the bridge.
It is part of the historic old town of Porto and has therefore been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
Who was the master builder?
Was it or was it not built by Gustave Eiffel? There are visitors to Porto who still claim that this beautiful bridge was built by Gustave Eiffel. They are wrong.
A little further upstream there is a railroad bridge that was built in 1877. The Ponte Maria Pia is similar in architectural style. It is also a truss arch bridge. The Ponte Maria Pia was built by the Gustave Eiffel company. It was designed by Eiffel’s partner Théophile Seyrig. After he left the company, he worked for a Belgian company, which was responsible for the planning of the Ponte Luís I.
But the influence of Gustave Eiffel simply cannot be overlooked.
Information about the Ponte Luís I
The bridge was opened in 1886 and is now the second oldest existing bridge in Porto that crosses the Douro.
I am very impressed by the bridge. It stretches over 385 meters across the river and on the upper level you stand about 60 meters high. It is said to weigh 3045 tons.
The structure is made of riveted wrought-iron steel and is visually reminiscent of truss structures. A large arch with a span of 172 meters carries the roadways. The upper carriageway is mounted on a trussed girder that rests directly on the apex of the arch. The lower carriageway is suspended from the arch.
At the time of its construction, it was the largest wrought-iron arch bridge in the world.
Come with us on the bridge
When we visited Porto, the lower carriageway was almost completely closed. There is actually a road there that carries traffic from Porto to Vila Gaia de Nova. Pedestrians will find a very narrow footpath right next to the roadway for crossing. The road has been resurfaced and pedestrians have been directed past the roadworks on both sides. Not nice, but a way to cross the river.
The route over the upper track is more exciting. Since 2004, only metro trains have been crossing the river here. Originally, other vehicles were also allowed to use the upper roadway. After another bridge was built about 600 meters away, it was decided to divert road traffic to it. If you want to cross the Douro on foot, it is best to walk across the upper level.
We mostly entered the bridge on the Porto side. This is also where the two metro tracks come out of the tunnel. The tracks are not cordoned off any further, only warning lights to the right and left of the tracks indicate this. Many visitors to Porto switch from one side to the other at will and take photos in the middle of the tracks. Even though the trains cross the bridge at walking pace, I found it quite risky at times and preferred to stay on the sidewalk.
If you don’t want to walk, you can of course also take the metro across the bridge. However, I always found the trains very crowded and there was rarely a window seat. I could only really enjoy the view when we were on foot.
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