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María Pía Bridge

Wrought-iron railway bridge built between 1876 and 1877 to cross the Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, attributed to Gustave Eiffel's company. Its central parabolic arch spans 160 metres and rises about 42.6 metres, with a total length of 353 metres and a height above the river of about 60 metres. Built without centering, the arch was constructed from the abutments with steel cables anchored at the top of the piers. It stopped being used for rail in 1991, when the service moved to the São João bridge, and in 1990 it was declared an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It is often confused with the nearby Dom Luís I bridge, one kilometre to the west, which has two decks instead of one.

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