Don t look down: World s longest suspension pedestrian bridge opens in Portugal
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Last Updated: Apr 30, 2021, 07:27 PM IST
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The structure baptised 516 Arouca crosses the steep Paiva river gorge, which is already strung with some eight kilometres (five miles) of wooden walkways.
AROUCA: The local mayor is hoping to pull in the tourists, but crossing the longest suspended pedestrian bridge in the world will test anyone s head for heights when it opens officially in northern Portugal on Sunday.
It hangs on heavy steel cables strung between V-shaped concrete towers and runs 516 metres (1700 feet) across a canyon, at a height of 175 metres.
• Updated: 30/04/2021
At more than half a kilometre across, the ‘516 Arouca’ in Portugal is the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
Although the construction of the bridge had been completed for some time, it was officially opened to the public on Thursday.
Named after its length - 516 metres - it hangs some 175 metres above the Paiva River in the north of the country.
While the height may be intimidating for some, local residents who were the first to walk it enjoyed their experience. It is very well built, said Rui Brandao, an Arouca resident.
A fashion show was held on the bridge to celebrate its inauguration, according to Visit Portugal.
Published April 30, 2021, 10:07 AM
The local mayor is hoping to pull in the tourists, but crossing the longest suspended pedestrian bridge in the world will test anyone’s head for heights when it opens officially in northern Portugal on Sunday.
A general view shows the 516 Arouca Bridge, the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge with a length of 516 meters and a height of 175 meters, in Arouca in northern Portugal on April 29, 2021. (Photo by CARLOS COSTA / AFP)
It hangs on heavy steel cables strung between V-shaped concrete towers and runs 516 metres (1700 feet) across a canyon, at a height of 175 metres.
Before Sunday’s official ceremony, people from the nearby town of Arouca were allowed to walk over the mega structure’s see-through metal grids on Thursday.
Longest suspension bridge in the world opens in Portugal with 1,692ft of panoramic views
Updated: Apr 30 2021, 8:19 ET
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THE world s longest suspension bridge has opened in Portugal - with tourists able to walk across the 1,692ft structure from next week.
Opening to the public from May 3, a number of brave visitors have already walked across the ‘516 Arouca’ named due to being 516m in length.
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The longest suspension bridge in the world has openedCredit: Reuters
The bridge is suspended 575ft above ground, with a sheer drop into the River Paiva and cliffs below.
The bridge is built using steel cables and a metal-grid base, which lets you feel like you are walking on nothing along with a view of the River Paiva below.
âWorldâs longest pedestrian suspension bridgeâ opens in Portugal
Structure at Arouca Geopark spans 516 metres and hangs 175 metres above the river Paiva in north of the country
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Worldâs longest pedestrian suspension bridge Arouca 516 opens in Portugal â video
StaffandagenciesinArouca
Thu 29 Apr 2021 23.36 EDT
First published on Thu 29 Apr 2021 16.21 EDT
A structure claimed to be the worldâs longest pedestrian suspension bridge has been completed in northern Portugal, where residents of the nearby town hope the tourist attraction will help revive a region whose economy was devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery and yellow flowers inside the Unesco-recognised Arouca Geopark, the 516 metres (1,700 feet) bridge hangs 175 metres above the fast-flowing River Paiva.