Bizkaia

Puente Bizkaia – Portugalete and Las Arenas – Spain

The Bizkaia Bridge, opened on 28th July 1893, was the first transporter bridge in the world built with a metal structure. It stands at the mouth of the river Ibaizabal, at the point where the navigable estuary of Bilbao opened out to the sea up to the 19th century, and was designed for its great iron body to link the localities of Portugalete and Getxo, one of the banks steep and rocky and the other low and sandy. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

All Iron Bizkaia. The Iron Trail

ALL IRON BIZKAIA. Burdinaren Ibilbidea, the Iron Trail, is a project led by the Bizkaia bridge which seeks to help publicise the landscapes of the Bilbao estuary, using the unifying concept of the iron trail. In this way the bridge is abiding by its commitment to the good practices in the 6C strategy laid down in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, by publicising the whole culture of iron and promoting responsible tourism on this basis.

Co-financed by Bizkaiko Foru Aldundia, the Bizkaia provincial authority assistance for promoting and developing the Bilbao-Bizkaia destination in 2018.

www.allironbizkaia.eus

History

The origins of the bridge date back to the end of the 19th century. The Bizkaia Bridge was built to link the two sides of the mouth of the Nervión without hindering shipping in one of the busiest river ports in Europe.

The design was the work of Alberto Palacio Elissague, also known for his part in the building of the crystal palace in the Retiro park in Madrid. The French engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin took charge of construction, and the Bilbao textile magnate Santos López de Letona was the main backer and financier of the project.

An architect from Bizkaia province, Alberto de Palacio, assessed the different options available: gondolas, swing bridges of all kinds, lifting bridges, bascule bridges and so on. Finally, he ruled all of them out after technical analysis, before deciding on the invention he called the Palacio Transporter Bridge.

The Bizkaia Bridge was the brilliant result of combining two different technological innovations: modern suspension bridge engineering developed in the mid-19th century and large mechanical vehicles powered by steam engines. This meant it was hailed from the start as the triumphal arch of the new industrial civilisation.

Work began in 1890, and it was finally opened on 28th July 1893.

Conservation

1901. The steam boiler was replaced with an electric motor in the same location. The lift was installed in Tower 2 – this had not been possible before because of the lack of electrical power. The stairway was moved to Tower 1.

1937. June 16th. During the Spanish Civil War, Republican army engineers blew up the parabolic cable housings on the Getxo side in a controlled explosion to make the bridge temporarily unusable by enemy troops. The main cross-piece fell into the river.

1939-1941. Reconstruction of the Bizkaia Bridge, to a design by the engineer José Juan Aracil. The parabolic cables, the decking, the suspension system, the winch, the gondola and the anchor block on the Getxo side were replaced. The only two major changes to the original design were to the beam and its suspension system: the mixed suspension system using vertical suspenders and sloping wires which was typical of the first generations of suspension bridges was replaced, doing away with the sloping wires; the original cross strutting was also replaced with warren trusses, which had the advantage of generating less secondary stresses. The old machine shed was dismantled and the slightly smaller new one installed in a large structure higher up. The electric motor was replaced with a new one. This is the only time the bridge has been closed in its 125-year history.

1941. Restoration was completed and the bridge reopened.

1945. Driving cab on the gondola removed. A cab was fitted on the pillars on the Getxo side on the deck, adjoining the machine shed.

1964. Gondola replaced with a new one designed according to aerodynamic criteria and techniques, using marine corrosion-resistant materials.

1991. Lighting system installed for night-time shows, with more than 500 light fittings.

1996. A programme of urgent work was begun, to remove ancillary parts in a very poor state, reinforce others, carry out emergency repairs and add the ancillary features necessary to go ahead with the following general repairs: removing the old movable platform, repairing the carriage, balancing the tension in the gondola cables, replacing cast iron pulleys with polyethylene ones, repairing numerous rails, building a motorised auxiliary carriage (platform), replacing the stairs in the towers and restoring the anchor block in Portugalete.

1997. New work was undertaken, with highlights including: construction of a second moving platform, construction of a climbing carriage to repair cables, reinforcement of 106 rails, installation of welded continuous rail, removal of 1,050 reflectors and 29,000 kg of cables and electrical apparatus, painting the whole bridge, reinforcing cables in 29 places and changing bolts and fittings.

1998-1999. The following work was undertaken: compartments on the lower level, rail track, new gondola, main carriage, new boarding rooms, automation of functions through a control room, pedestrian walkway, panoramic lifts to reach the pedestrian walkway, lighting, replacement of stairs in the tower and installation of a lifeline.

2000. The following jobs were done: repair of top cables, partial repainting, minor structural repairs, restoration of the under-deck structure.

2001. New lightweight lighting was installed.

2002. Load abutment criteria were corrected and antifriction wheels tested.

The bridge in figures

Distance between towers: 160 metres
Gondola crossing time: 90 seconds

Weight: 400 tonnes
Length of gondola: 15 x 10.4 metres

Height of the towers: 61 metres
Height of the platform over the water: 45 metres

Gallery

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2ndo-Premio-Gabriel-Portell-Torres-El-Puente-enmarca-la--Regata-del-Gallo_b

Practical info

The bridge is open all year round, with the gondola working constantly every day of the week, day and night.

The top walkway is open to visitors every day of the year, from 10.00am to 7.00pm in the low seasons (from November to March) and from 10.00am to 8.00pm in the high season. There are lifts to go up to the walkway, and an audioguide service. At the top, an open-air exhibition tells the story of the bridge, linked to that of the towns around it.

At the bottom, next to the boarding entrances, souvenir shops and panoramic terraces complete the site.

Also, adventure activities such as climbing and bungee jumping are available on certain days. To find out more and check for any changes to this information, visit the website before organising your visit.

Official website: https://puente-colgante.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puentebizkaia

Twitter: @PuenteBizkaia

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSVUqk5TmiMx4xql1Q5AEVg

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Credits and intellectual property

Top picture: CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons) Javierme

Gallery 1: Archivo Histórico Foral de Bizkaia / Bizkaiko Foru Agiritegi Historikoaren (AHFB/BFAH) / ©El Transbordador de Vizcaya S.L.

Gallery 2: ©El Transbordador de Vizcaya S.L. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Creative Commons) Gorkaazk / ©Gabriel Portell Torres / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons) Ebaki / CC BY 2.0 (Creative Commons) Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela / CC0 (Creative Commons) Zarateman