Sordo Bridge
Sordo Bridge
Ponte Sordo
Vila Real, Vila Real, Portugal
344 feet high / 105 meters high
459 foot span / 140 meter span
2012
Completed in 2012, the Ponte Sordo is located on the eastern end of a new 30 kilometer highway extension that links up Amarante to Vila Real in Northern Portugal. The new route bypasses an older highway with less turns and easier grades.
The huge, single cell rectangular box girder is 29.5 meters wide with gradual banking that changes from left to right as the bridge follows an S-shaped path as it crosses the deep Marão River valley.
Also on the new autopista is the giant Viaduto Marão which towers 150 meters high several miles west of Sordo. Also in the near-100 meter height range further west of Marão is Viaduto Giao.
A wide satellite view of the Sordo Bridge construction site shows the path of the new highway south of the older route. The bypass required the construction of several large viaducts and tunnels.
Significant progress can clearly be seen on the construction of piers 2, 4, 5 and 6 while pier 3 is just above the foundation stage. You can double click on the image for a closer look.
