Currents Bridge

Currents Bridge

Puente de las Corrientes
Currents Bridge; Puente de las Corrientes
	Currents bridge
Coordinates	42°26′12″N 8°38′54″W / 42.436556°N 8.648301°WCoordinates: 42°26′12″N 8°38′54″W / 42.436556°N 8.648301°W
Carries	Motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians
Crosses	Lérez River
Locale	Pontevedra, Spain
Characteristics
Design	Tied-arch
Material	Steel and reinforced concrete
Total length	138 m (453 ft)
Width	30 m (98 ft)
Height	10.5 m (34 ft)
Longest span	116 m (381 ft)
History
Construction start	2008
Construction end	2012
Opened	28 June 2012
Location

The Currents Bridge (puente de las Corrientes in Spanish), is a tied-arch bridge that crosses the Lérez River in the city of Pontevedra, Spain. It was inaugurated in 2012^[1] and connects Uruguay Avenue and Domingo Fontán Street.

History[]

The location of the bridge is known as The Currents (Las Corrientes), because this is where the waters of the Rons river meet those of the Lérez river and the ria of Pontevedra. Since 1989,^[2] the construction of a new bridge in this place of The Currents was planned to connect the two banks of the Lérez river. However, it was not until the beginning of the 21st century that this idea was taken up again to provide another exit from the city centre to the north and the beaches of the ria de Pontevedra and direct access to the AP-9 motorway.,^[3]^[4]^[5]

In 2008, the city council organised an ideas competition to decide on the design of the new bridge. In the end, one of the proposals for an tied-arch bridge was chosen because it combined modernity and integration into the urban environment, as the 10-metre height of its two metal arches was not considered excessive so as not to obstruct the view of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.^[6] The bridge was inaugurated on 28 June 2012 with its opening to road traffic.

Design[]

This bridge has a total length between abutments (span) of 116 metres. Its main structure consists of two parallel arches made of 10.5-metre high white steel tubes from which 17 steel stays are suspended to support the bridge deck. The steel arches are supported on reinforced concrete foundations. Its structure is light, elegant and diaphanous.

It has two roads in each direction and two cycle paths. On both sides of the bridge there is a covered pedestrian bridge. Pedestrian and cycle traffic is separated from motorised traffic.^[7] The functionality of the bridge has been designed with a pedestrian underground passage with natural light through the upper roundabout on Uruguay Avenue. This pedestrian underground passage, which runs under the bridge, is protected on the side of the ria by a glass screen, so that the water can be seen during high tides when the sea level rises.^[8]

Gallery[]

Bridge at night
Bicycle path and footbridge
Bridge and marina
Lower section
Pedestrian walkway
Bridge and Uruguay Avenue

References[]

^ "As Correntes tendrá que esperar a septiembre para obtener nota". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2012.
^ "El puente de As Correntes tardó 22 años en construirse". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 November 2017.
^ "La obra del puente de As Correntes, paso a paso". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 May 2012.
^ "El puente de As Correntes despierta el interés de una quincena de firmas". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 May 2008.
^ "El nuevo puente de As Correntes será semicubierto para facilitar el tránsito peatonal". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2007.
^ "Expertos revisan si los proyectos para construir el puente de As Correntes encajan con la Basílica de Santa María". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2008.
^ "El Gobierno gallego da luz verde al convenio para el puente de As Correntes". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2008.
^ "El nuevo puente de As Correntes comenzará a construirse en el 2008". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2007.

External links[]

[1] "As Correntes tendrá que esperar a septiembre para obtener nota". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 June 2012.

[2] "El puente de As Correntes tardó 22 años en construirse". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 November 2017.

[3] "La obra del puente de As Correntes, paso a paso". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 May 2012.

[4] "El puente de As Correntes despierta el interés de una quincena de firmas". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 May 2008.

[5] "El nuevo puente de As Correntes será semicubierto para facilitar el tránsito peatonal". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2007.

[6] "Expertos revisan si los proyectos para construir el puente de As Correntes encajan con la Basílica de Santa María". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2008.

[7] "El Gobierno gallego da luz verde al convenio para el puente de As Correntes". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2008.

[8] "El nuevo puente de As Correntes comenzará a construirse en el 2008". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2007.

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v Pontevedra landmarks
Bridges	Burgo Bridge Barca Bridge Tirantes Bridge Currents Bridge
Entertainment venues	Principal Theatre Pontevedra Auditorium and Convention Centre Caixa de Pontevedra Pontevedra Bullring Pasarón Stadium Municipal Sports Hall of Pontevedra
Government buildings	Pontevedra City Hall Palacio de la Diputación de Pontevedra Bank of Spain Building Pontevedra Normal School Building Fonseca House
Museums	Pontevedra Museum Archiepiscopal Towers Interpretation Centre Island of Sculptures
Churches	Basilica of Saint Mary Major Church of the Pilgrim Virgin Saint Francis Church Saint Bartholomew's church Saint Clare's Convent Our Lady of Placeres church Ruins of San Domingos Mosteiro Beneditino de San Bieito de Lérez Apparitions Sanctuary
Outstanding buildings	College of the Society of Jesus in Pontevedra Casa de las Campanas Pazo of the Counts of Maceda Pazo de Mugartegui Pazo de Castro Monteagudo Pazo de García Flórez Casa de las Caras Mendoza Mansion Pazo de Lourizán Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra Café Moderno Villa Pilar Valle-Inclán High School Pontevedra Central Post Office Gran Garaje Building Pontevedra Exhibition Centre Principal Theatre Pontevedra Auditorium and Convention Centre Caixa de Pontevedra Pontevedra Bullring Gobierno Civil de Pontevedra Administrative Complex of Pontevedra
Monuments	Monument to the heroes of Puente Sampayo Valle-Inclán statue Tertulia Monument (Literary Circle in Modern Coffee) Teucer statue The Fiel contraste Dorna (sculpture) Ravachol statue
Medieval squares	Plaza de la Herrería Plaza de la Leña Plaza de Teucro Plaza de la Verdura Plaza de Méndez Núñez Plaza de la Pedreira
Gardens and parks	Alameda de Pontevedra Palm Trees Park Island of Sculptures Marismas de Alba Natural Park Gafos Park Arboretum of Lourizán
Other sights	Old town of Pontevedra Pontevedra Central Market Walls of Pontevedra Pontevedra Seafront promenade Lérez Beach Ria de Pontevedra Pontevedra Public Library
Transport	Pontevedra railway station Pontevedra-Universidad railway station Pontevedra marina Port of Marín-Pontevedra Metrominuto