Alcántara Bridge (Alcantara, 106)

Alcántara Bridge

General Information

Structural Type:	Semi-circular arch bridge
Function / usage:	Road bridge
Construction method:	Opus quadratum
Other name(s):	Puente de Alcántara
Built:	104 - 106
Status:	in use

Geographic Information & Related Structures

Location:	Alcantara, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, Europe
Crosses	Tagus River
Coordinates:	39° 43' 21.00" N 6° 53' 33.00" W

Technical Information

Dimensions

	width	8 m
	height	71 m
	length	194 m
	span lengths	13.8 m - 21.9 m - 28.8 m - 27.4 m - 21.9 m - 13.8 m
deck	deck width	6.7 m

Materials

piers	stone
arches	stone

Chronology

1214	Partially destroyed by the Moors.
1543	Restored from war damage under Carlos I.
1778	Restored from war damage by Carlos III.
1809	Second arch from the south destroyed in the Napoleonic wars.
1858 - 1869	Arch is restored.

Notes

"El Kantara" means "bridge" in Arabic.

An arch at the centre built in honor of Trajan has the following inscription: "Imp. Caesari. Divi. Nervae. F.Nervae Traiano. Aug. Ger. Dacio. Pontif. Max. TRIB. POTEST ; VIII Imp. V.Cos V. P.P."

Participants

Gaius Julius Lacer

Relevant Web Sites

Relevant Publications

Bonatz, Paul & Leonhardt, Fritz Brücken, Karl Robert Langewiesche Verlag, Königstein im Taunus (Germany), 1956; pp. 57
Brown, David J. Bridges, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York (USA), ISBN 002517455X, 1993; pp. 25
Graf, Bernhard Bridges that Changed the World, Prestel, Munich (Germany), ISBN 3791327011, 2002; pp. 20-21
Graf, Bernhard Brücken, die die Welt verbinden, Prestel, Munich (Germany), ISBN 3791327003, 2002; pp. 20-21
Prade, Marcel Les grands ponts du monde: Ponts remarquables d'Europe, Brissaud, Poitiers (France), ISBN 2902170653, 1990
Quaranta, Arnaud Le Passage (1^st edition), Everest Communication, Luxembourg (Luxembourg), ISBN 287996976X, 1999; pp. 64-65
Terribas, Beatriz Puente de Alcántara, in "Revista del Ministerio de Fomento", July 2004, n. 531
Wittfoht, Hans Buiding bridges, Beton-Verlag, Düsseldorf (Germany), ISBN 3764001763, 1984
von Wölfel, Wilhelm Brunnen - Brücken - Aquädukte, in "Bautechnik", 1997; pp. 66-67

Internal Information

Structure-ID:	s0000521
Created:	18/11/1999
Last Updated:	19/03/2013

Structurae