Vasco da Gama Bridge

The Vasco da Gama Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge crossing the Tagus River near Lisbon, Portugal. Opened in 1998, it was named for the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

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Cable-stayed bridge: A bridge whose deck is supported directly by cables connected to one or more towers. This is the structural form used for the bridge’s main crossing.
Bridge span: The distance between supports beneath a bridge deck, or the section of bridge between those supports. The crossing combines several spans designed for different parts of the Tagus estuary.
Expo 98: A world’s fair held in Lisbon in 1998, focused on the oceans and maritime exploration. The bridge opened in the same year Lisbon hosted this world’s fair.
Lisbon metropolitan area: The urban region centered on Lisbon and extending across surrounding municipalities on both sides of the Tagus. The bridge links communities within this wider urban region.
Tagus River: A major Iberian river that flows westward through Spain and Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The bridge crosses the Tagus at its broad estuary near Lisbon.
Pile foundation: A foundation system that transfers structural loads to deeper, stronger soil or rock through long columns. Deep foundations support bridge structures in the estuary’s soft ground.
Tagus River crossings: Road and rail links that cross the Tagus River in the Lisbon region. The project added a second major road crossing to ease dependence on the 25 de Abril Bridge.
Montijo: A Portuguese municipality on the southern side of the Tagus estuary, east of Lisbon. The bridge improves road access between Montijo and Lisbon.
Lisbon: The capital and largest city of Portugal, situated on the Tagus estuary. The bridge forms part of Lisbon’s metropolitan transport network.
Viaduct: A long bridge structure, often composed of multiple spans, that carries a road or railway across low ground or obstacles. Long viaduct sections extend the route beyond the central cable-stayed crossing.