São Vicente Suspension Bridge
São Vicente Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge in São Vicente, Brazil. Constructed in 1914, it was restored in 2015.
Location
The bridge is located in São Vicente, in the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista, the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and is regularly used by residents of t and Prainha. It connects São Vicente with Praia Grande.[1]
Construction
The bridge was constructed in 1914. It was inaugurated on 24 May 1914, when it was the first suspension bridge in Brazil. It was constructed in an era when concrete was not available, and used steel cables, with towers and a wooden floor.[1]
Restoration
The original steel cables corroded and started to break. 16 of the cables were replaced, with provisional cables held by a temporary structure until the new ones, which were imported from Italy, could be installed. The towers were also repaired, the wooden floor was replaced, and the structure was blasted and repainted with corrosive-resistant paint.[1]
The restoration was the fifth restoration of a cable suspension bridge in the world. The pavements were separated from the road and made more accessible during the restoration.[1]
It was originally scheduled to be reopened on its centenary in 2014. However, its reopening was delayed six times due to the complexity of the repair work, and it ultimately reopened on 30 October 2015, with an opening ceremony attended by Geraldo Alckmin. The restoration ultimately took 27 months and cost R$33 million. The lighting, which was due to be replaced in partnership with the City Hall, was not replaced by the time of the opening, with the existing lighting being maintained instead. [1]
The bridge is used by 12,000 residents of the local area, who had to use the Ponte do Mar Pequeno while it was being restored.[1]