Architecture

World's longest suspension footbridge lets walkers get some mountain air

View 9 Images
The 516 Arouca is supported by two large concrete V-shaped towers
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The 516 Arouca cost €2.1 million (roughly US$2.5 million) to build
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The 516 Arouca was first envisioned back in 2016. Construction then began in 2018 and was completed at the end of 2020
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The 516 Arouca spans a river in a picturesque area of Portugal
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
As its name suggests, the 516 Arouca measures 516 m (1,692 ft) in length
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
Tickets to the 516 Arouca cost €12 ($14.50), which includes entry to nearby walking trails
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
According to the team, it took several months of careful calculations, including the use of a wind tunnel, to ensure the bridge could withstand the wind
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The 516 Arouca is supported by two large concrete V-shaped towers
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The aim is for the 516 Arouca bridge to revitalize tourism in the area, which has suffered due to COVID-19 restrictions
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
The 516 Arouca is situated 175 m (574 ft) above the Paiva river
Câmara Municipal de Arouca
View gallery - 9 images

Those nervous of heights should probably steer clear of the newly completed 516 Arouca bridge in Portugal. As its name suggests, the tourist attraction runs high above a river for 516 m (1,692 ft) and is hailed as the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge by Portuguese officials.

The bridge sits 175 m (574 ft) above a rushing river in the UNESCO-recognized Arouca Geopark, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The 516 Arouca bridge is significantly longer than the previous world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the Alps, which measures 494 m (1,620 ft).

As its name suggests, the 516 Arouca measures 516 m (1,692 ft) in length
Câmara Municipal de Arouca

The bridge's construction was led by Itecons, Conduril - Engenharia SA, and the Portugal National Laboratory of Civil Engineering. Structurally, it consists of two large V-shaped concrete towers at either side of a valley, which support the bridge proper. This includes 127 steel sections that are held in place by steel cables.

According to the team, it took several months of careful calculations to ensure the cables could withstand the wind, with lots of testing carried out in a wind tunnel. The project cost €2.1 million (roughly US$2.5 million) and was first conceived back in 2016. Construction then began in 2018 and the bridge was finally completed in late 2020.

The hope is that the bridge will help revitalize tourism in an area hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions and the resulting loss of income.

The aim is for the 516 Arouca bridge to revitalize tourism in the area, which has suffered due to COVID-19 restrictions
Câmara Municipal de Arouca

"The 516 Arouca is a remarkable work of national engineering and will certainly be one of the most iconic works of the municipality of Arouca and of the country and that will surely become an [example] of modernity," says local president Margarida Belém (via Google Translate). "This was a challenging and ambitious project and, above all, it is a project that makes us all very proud. It is a remarkable work for a municipality of our size, but equal to the [locals] and their capacity for resilience and struggle."

If you'd like to visit yourself, tickets cost €12 ($14.50), which includes entry to the nearby Passadiços do Paiva walking trails. The entire experience, including the walking trails, takes around an hour and a half.

Update May 10, 2021: A reader has spotted a suspended footbridge that is actually 51 m longer than 516 Arouca. The Baglung Parbat Footbridge in Nepal has a total length of 567 m (1,860 ft), which would make it the world's longest pedestrian suspension footbridge."

Source: 516 Arouca (in Portuguese)

View gallery - 9 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
5 comments
guzmanchinky
This looks very cool!
Username
Why did the human cross the bridge?!
paul314
It's even price plausibly. I wonder how many people are allowed on the bridge at one time. Because I would spend as long as I could near the middle taking pictures.
Baker Steve
Brunel would have loved it.
ljaques
Looks like a good hike, but what percentage of the population would meander out there like that? They should put another one directly over the river gorge itself, closer to the water. Fees from this would pay for both in a couple years and add to tourism. If this was nearby, I'd go stroll it.