Hello friends, today I present to you this iron bridge that was built in Vizcaya in the 19th century.
The Vizcaya bridge
It was a bridge made out of necessity and like all urban works to improve people's lives.
It reminds us of the Eiffel Tower and something if it has it since a disciple of Eiffel and an architect participated in its construction.
Called Alberto de Palacio. as it is built of iron, but let's tell its story.
Several projects were presented but the architects, the Basque Alberto de Palacio and the French Fernando Arnodin.
The measurements for those dates were unimaginable
The height is 61 meters and its length 160 meters.
The estuary passed from side to side causing the passage in small boats to be replaced by the ferry bridge that transported people and animals in its boat.
It was the era of iron and in Vizcaya a great vein was discovered that made the area prosper and iron got into our blood.
50 million cubic meters of mineral and that at the time of construction of the bridge
was at the peak of its peak performance
So the bridge was built of iron and twisted cables, something very new in those days as its autonomous mobile barge.
Two double stacks of metal latticework, one on each bank, raise the
Cables up to 61 m high. These cables are anchored at both ends in solid foundation blocks located about 110 m away from the towers.
The materials as I said is iron without any additional material
728,447 kg of rolled iron, 10,629 of rivets, 88,248 kg of steel cable and 21,041 screws.
That was a great advance for the entire area since a bridge was needed that would allow boats to pass through the estuary without obstructing traffic and at the same time transporting people and goods.
In the sight of laymen like me, I have many things to say, it is our pride and being so great we appreciate it from a distance.
Formerly its color was black or gray from the smoke of the industries, since I can remember it is iron red since it is what an iron titan is and it is the appropriate color.
The barge has been changed several times, always with improvements and more appropriate to the times.
When you walk towards it, you see its two large legs that rise to the sky and its footbridge that they have made pedestrian for years.
The fat cables emerging from the ground parallel to the top of the tower.
On July 12, 2006 it was declared a World Heritage Site by the Heritage Committee
UNESCO World Cup, a real pride for us
Our bridge that joins the two banks of our estuary and makes passing a matter of a few minutes.
All for the commerce of those times, for the industry to prosper, for the well-being of all people.
Bridges are something very special, hanging in the void, joining banks or mountains, removing the natural barriers of our lands, making mobility more bearable.
Like all architecture, it is very complicated and measuring everything in millimeters thinking about where its pillars are anchored, the earth, the structure of the land and the movements of the subsoil.
Those great silent gentlemen who go through almost without realizing all the work and study that his work has entailed, the challenges of materials and designs,
As I always tell you, my city is divided by the estuary and we join with bridges, old bridges and now some new ones but nothing as spectacular as it, nor as dear.
Bridge that has up to one song and several names
The official Vizcaya Bridge, for us the most elegant suspension bridge in all of Bilbao.
Well this has been my entry for all of you on this spring day.
@txatxy
