For many of us, it is now almost impossible to picture the city of Lisbon without the Ponte Vasco da Gama. Opened in 1998, it pays tribute to the navigator Vasco da Gama-marking 500 years since his arrival in India in 1498.
But this concrete structure is far more than a “simple tribute”.
Built in the northern area of Lisbon, the Ponte Vasco da Gama immediately became a long-awaited (and much-needed) alternative to the Ponte 25 de Abril, as well as a vital transport route linking the north and south of the country.
In this article, we share a few figures about the bridge that, for a time, was known only as the “second Tejo crossing”.
2,90
The toll price in euros for Class 1 vehicles (Editor’s note: year 2022). When it opened in 1998, the toll for light vehicles (Class 1) was 320 escudos (€1,60).
Today, Class 2 vehicles pay €6,55, Class 3 vehicles pay €9,65, and for Class 4 vehicles the toll rises to €12,40.
17,185 km
The total length of the Ponte Vasco da Gama. Of the bridge’s full span, 12,345 km runs over the waters of the River Tejo.
These figures earned it the title of “Europe’s longest bridge” until 2018, when it was overtaken by the Crimean Bridge, built over the Kerch Strait and measuring 18,100 km.
Even so, the Ponte Vasco da Gama remains the longest bridge in the European Union.
91
The number of cameras installed along the Ponte Vasco da Gama, enabling continuous traffic monitoring from the Control Room and from a fixed GNR post.
The bridge also has 73 emergency telephones and an Automatic Incident Detection (DAI) system that alerts operators if traffic stops.
Lusoponte patrols (the organisation responsible for managing the bridge) assist drivers with minor breakdowns.
250 km/h
The wind gust speed the Ponte Vasco da Gama was designed to withstand.
Awarded first prize in 2000 by the Ibero-American Institution of Architecture and Civil Engineering, the bridge was engineered to resist an earthquake 4,5 times stronger than the one Lisbon experienced in 1755.
3300
The number of workers involved in building the Ponte Vasco da Gama between February 1995 and March 1998.
During construction, particular care was taken with environmental protection, as the bridge crosses the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve.
15 000
The number of people who took part in the world’s largest feijoada on 22 March 1998.
The table where the feijoada was served entered the Guinness Book of Records as “the world’s longest table”, measuring 5,05 km.
Notably, this mega-feijoada took place even before the official inauguration of the bridge, which happened only a week later, on 29 March 1998, presided over by the then President of the Republic, Jorge Sampaio.
62 000
The average number of cars that cross the Ponte Vasco da Gama each day.
When 20 years since its opening were marked in 2018, statistics stated that, since 1998, around 426 million cars had crossed the bridge.
730 000 m3
The total volume of concrete used in building the Ponte Vasco da Gama.
In addition to the concrete, 100 000 tonnes of steel were used and 1 400 000 m3 of earth was moved. The total area of asphalt surfacing comes to 400 000 m2.
897 000 000
The construction cost of the Ponte Vasco da Gama in euros. Of this amount, €319 million came from the European Union Cohesion Fund and €299 million was loaned by the European Investment Bank.
Tolls collected on the Ponte 25 de Abril contributed €50 million.
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