516-meters-long structure in Arouca Geopark in Portugal
A 516-meters-long structure in Arouca Geopark in Portugal is now Europe's longest pedestrian suspension bridge. The bridge crosses the Paiva Gorge connecting the opposing granite rock outcrop cliffs, and is positioned 175 meters above the river.
The project was undertaken under the auspices of the Institute for Researchand Technological Development for Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability. Along with Paiva Walkways, an eight-kilometer-long trail that winds through the Arouca hills, it will function as a tourist attraction for the entire region. Margarida Belém, the Mayor of Arouca stated enthusiastically: "A remarkable work of national engineering and will certainly be one of the most iconic structures in the municipality of Arouca and in the country and that will surely become a landmark of modernity".
The suspension bridge consists of a deck supported by two steel suspension cables, known as tensile cables, hanging from elevated towers which form inverted A-shapes. The walkaway of the bridge consists of 127 interlocking metal-gridded individual cells, each connected to the suspension cables.