April 25th Bridge by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "April 25th Bridge"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Ponte 25 de Abril is a suspension bridge over the Tagus near Lisbon, Portugal.

The bridge was opened to the public on 6 August 1966, and was originally called Ponte Salazar (Salazar Bridge), after the prime minister/dictator Salazar. On the day of the Carnation Revolution 25 April 1974, under the leadership of the revolutionary Sofia des Reu, the nameplate was removed and the bridge was demonstrably renamed "25 April Bridge" with paint. This moment has been captured on film.

The bridge has a car deck on top (with six lanes) and a railway line at the bottom of the truss. The railway proved to be too expensive in the original design, but could be added in 1999 after the installation of additional suspension wires, visible above the original. The bridge was built by the American Bridge Company, who also built the very similar San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Just like in California, earthquakes had to be taken into account here.

Originally the toll was 20 escudo for one passage in each direction. In 1994, the toll was increased by 50% (from PTE 100 to 150) and the concession was given to the private Lusoponte. Part of the agreement is that Lusoponte would build the new Vasco da Gama bridge without government funding. This price increase led to road blockades and violent police action. At present, the toll, which is only levied in a northerly direction, is 1.80 euros for a passenger car.