Vasco da Gama Bridge

The Vasco da Gama Bridge is one of the largest bridges in Europe. With a length of 17.2 km, it connects the south bank of the Tagus to the north side, linking the Nations’ Park area in Lisbon to the cities of Montijo and Alcochete, on the south bank of the river. It has three lanes in each direction.

Its name invokes the Portuguese Vasco da Gama, in the year in which the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Maritime Path to India by this great navigator was celebrated, in 1498.

Portuguese engineer Edgar Cardoso and American engineer Mark Watson designed the Vasco da Gama Bridge. Portuguese company Teixeira Duarte undertook the construction of the bridge, in a project planned to last 120 years.

During construction, there was considerable environmental concern: studies were carried out to protect the Tagus Estuary ecosystem, temporarily diverting the flow in certain areas and creating compensatory measures for migratory birds.

The bridge was designed to withstand extreme phenomena ranging from earthquakes 4.5 times stronger than the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 to winds exceeding 250 km/h. The deck rests on pillars up to 150 meters high, buried almost 100 meters deep in the riverbed, ensuring stability and durability.

Award at Guinness World of Records

For the inauguration of the new bridge, a lunch was organized on March 22nd, 1998, which won a place in the book of records. On that day, the Vasco da Gama bridge entered the Guinness World of Records as the longest bridge in Europe. In addition, the table where the meal was served won the award for the largest Table in the World with 15,000 people and 5,000 meters long!

Although the grand lunch was the first event held on the Vasco da Gama bridge, the official inauguration only took place a week later, on March 29th, 1998. The ceremony was presided over by the then President of the Republic Jorge Sampaio and blessed by Father Vítor Melícias. Two months later, EXPO’98 opened, with the theme “The oceans – a heritage for the future”.

For 20 years this was the longest bridge in Europe, exceeding 17 km in length, of which about 12 km are made over the waters of the Tagus. The position is currently occupied by the Crimean Bridge, over 18 km long, built over the Kerch Strait in Russia and inaugurated in May 2018.

The construction of the Vasco da Gama bridge was an important milestone in the city’s history and is today a symbol of Lisbon’s modernity and progress.