Sound wells were constructed, canal pier base scour protection was installed and stormwater retention basins for the south bank were created.Īlso on the south bank, special measures were taken for the recovery of the Samouco salt marsh, which is a nature reserve where certain species of birds, fish, crustaceans and molluscs shelter, reproduce and feed. Most of the measures taken by Lusoponte for environmental conservation were new at the time in Europe. This bridge is also noteworthy for respecting environmental standards. By serving the south bank of the Tagus, it brightens the development prospects of the area. By linking the Segunda Circular (2 nd Circular) to the EN10 national trunk road and the future A12 motorway, this bridge eases the growing traffic in Lisbon and facilitates the route to Spain and the Algarve province.

In addition, the urban development promise that its construction carried has come true. The Vasco de Gama Bridge is a matter of national pride because of its technical feats. Finally, the hydraulic couplings on the main viaduct piers, while allowing the viaduct to move in service, block it in case of an earthquake. Its flexible piers were designed for long periods of vibration. The deck of the cable-stayed bridge is not fixed to its pylons, but can move sideways and lengthwise. The northern viaduct is equipped with a shock absorber to absorb longitudinal shifting in case of an earthquake. So, the Vasco da Gama Bridge can resist an earthquake that is 4.5 times greater than the building resistance standards in Lisbon.Įach part of the bridge reflects this challenge. Portugal is an important earthquake zone as proven by the earthquake of 1755, which remains the largest one known to date. The earthquake risk was also taken into consideration in the design phase. Without this new technology, the land curvature and the bridge length would have distorted the project by a metre. Satellite coordination helped ensure project consistency. Given the tight deadline, a single phasing was used. First, it consists of five distinct parts: the northern viaduct, the expo viaduct, the cable-stayed bridge, the central viaduct and the southern viaduct, not forgetting the interchanges. Several elements must be taken into consideration to highlight the complexity of this construction.

Ponte vasco da gama