Lisbon, May 15, 2026 (Lusa) – Portugal’s state-owned infrastructure company, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), announced on Friday that public events will mark the 60th anniversary of Lisbon's iconic 25 de Abril Bridge over the river Tagus to showcase the history and relevance of the engineering feat, which opened on 6 August 1966.
The company, which manages the bridge connecting Lisbon and Almada, said the official commemorative programme, which it will release soon, involves various institutional, cultural and mobility entities to engage people “around a collective heritage that unites generations, territories and stories.”
The programme will include “initiatives aimed at different audiences, with activities for historical and heritage appreciation, innovative digital content, immersive experiences, visits, art and moments of public participation, promoting greater proximity between the bridge and users.”
The state-owned company also intends to project the structure “as an infrastructure of the future and a symbol of the country’s engineering capacity and innovation” and recognise “IP’s work in managing, monitoring, maintaining and enhancing this strategic infrastructure.”
“Connecting Lisbon and Almada, the bridge is a strategic transport infrastructure, ensuring the movement of people and goods and contributing to economic, social and territorial cohesion,” IP said.
More than 300,000 people use the bridge over the Tagus daily for rail or road transport, and it “has become a symbol of progress, freedom, engineering and territorial cohesion, standing out as one of the most recognised images of Portugal in the world,” the company added.
The bridge has a main span of just over 1,012 metres, a distance of around 2,228 metres between anchorages, main towers rising nearly 191 metres above water level and a south pier reaching a depth of 80 metres below water level. It also features 20 kilometres of steel wire and 72,600 tonnes of steel Around 2,500 workers and 14 construction companies built the bridge in less than four years. According to IP, it remains “the largest suspension bridge in Europe with road and rail traffic.”
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