Vasco da Gama Bridge

Built for the 1988 Lisbon Expo, the Vasco da Gama Bridge is more than 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) long and links the northern and southern regions of Portugal.

The Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest in Europe. It is 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) long and was built for the 1988 Lisbon World Exposition. It is so long that on cloudy days, it is impossible to see the other side of the bridge!

Opened to the public on 29th March 1988, it was named after the most important Portuguese discoverer, Vasco da Gama. It commemorates the fifth centenary of his arrival from India in 1498. Gama was the first European to reach India by sea, from the Atlantic Ocean.

A bridge connecting the north and south of the country already existed, the 25 de Abril Bridge, but it wasn’t enough for the traffic congestion from one side to the other, so as an alternative, they built the Vasco da Gama Bridge.

3,300 workers were needed to build the bridge and it took 18 months to complete.