The
Vasco da Gama Bridge (
Portuguese:
Ponte Vasco da Gama;
pronounced: [ˈpõt(ɨ) ˈvaʃku dɐ ˈɡɐmɐ]) is a
cable-stayed bridge flanked by
viaducts and rangeviews that spans the
Tagus River in
Parque das Nações in
Lisbon, capital of
Portugal. It is the
longest bridge in
Europe (including viaducts),
[3][4] with a total length of 17.2 kilometres (10.7 mi)), including 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) for the main bridge, 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) in viaducts, and 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) in dedicated access roads. Its purpose is to alleviate the congestion on Lisbon's other bridge (
25 de Abril Bridge), and to join previously unconnected motorways radiating from Lisbon.
Construction began on February 1995; the bridge was opened to traffic on 29 March 1998, just in time for
Expo 98, the World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by
Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to
India.
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