Ponte Vasco da Gama (Lisbon, Portugal)
This steel bridge is the second longest bridge in Europe and it crosses the shallow yet wide Tagus Estuary in order to bypass Lisbon. This cable-stayed bridge’s longest span is 1,378 feet and total length is 7.67 miles. Its base extends into the bedrock by 95 meters while its pillars were reinforced in order to support winds of up to 155mph. The Vasco da Gama bridge’s architects have said that the structure could withstand an earthquake that is 4 times as strong as the 1755 earthquake.
Ponte Vasco da Gama (Lisbon, Portugal)
Pont du Gard (France)
A piece of history, the Pont du Gard spans 902 feet over France’s Gard River and winds between two cities, over 50 kilometers long through the mountains. Its construction was started around 40 C.E. and in the Roman times, it was the highest aqueduct at 164 feet and supplied water to Nîmes CIty for five centuries. A wonder of ancient construction, the aqueduct is a true engineering marvel as it was built with extraordinary precision and completely with dry materials, without need for masonry. This bridge is strikingly beautiful owing to its natural surroundings and elegant forms that have barely shown any sign of suffering in the past 20 centuries and every year, it is among the most visited monuments in France.
Pont du Gard (France)
