Ponte Infante Dom Henrique, Porto

The remarkable thing here is how little the arch seems to rise for such a long crossing. Ponte Infante Dom Henrique spans the Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, with the Dom Luís I Bridge downstream and the Maria Pia Bridge upstream. Completed in 2003, it took over the road role of the upper level of Dom Luís I when that older deck became part of Porto Metro’s D Line.

From a safe place on the pavement, take in the bridge’s deliberately spare profile: its reinforced-concrete arch stretches 280 metres, yet rises only 25 metres from its supports. That unusually flat proportion drew on the Alpine bridge ideas of Swiss engineer Robert Maillart and set a world record for this type of bridge. The whole crossing measures 371 metres, carries two traffic lanes in each direction, and includes protected side pavements for pedestrians.

Construction lasted 27 months and cost 14 million euros. José Antonio Fernández Ordóñez led the project for the Spanish firm IDEAM, working with engineers António Adão da Fonseca and Francisco Millanes Mato. The bridge takes its name from Infante Dom Henrique, who was born in Porto, and it remains the newest bridge connection between Porto and Gaia.