Puente de Occidente
Coordinates: 6 ° 34 ′ 41 ″ N , 75 ° 47 ′ 53 ″ W.
| Puente de Occidente | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | Puente de Occidente |
| use | Road bridge |
| Crossing of | Río Cauca |
| place | Olaya and Santa Fe de Antioquia , Colombia |
| construction | Cable-stayed bridge , wood , steel and iron bridge |
| overall length | 291 m |
| Clear height | 4.60 m |
| start of building | 4th December 1887 |
| completion | December 27, 1895 |
| planner | José María Villa |
| Above sea level | 550 m |
The Puente de Occidente ( German "West Bridge"), which is located in the west of Antioquia , Colombia , is a suspension bridge that connects the communities of Olaya and Santa Fe de Antioquia to the east and west of the Cauca River . Formerly it was considered the seventh most important suspension bridge in the world.
story
The Puente de Occidente was built between 1887 and 1895 by the civil engineer and mechanic José María Villa. The Compañia Puente de Occidente ("West Bridge Society") was founded in 1881 to build it . The construction costs amounted to 171,300 US $ , with 1017 shares were acquired for each US $ 100 from the government and 696 from individuals. Years before construction began, the area was carefully examined by José Manuel Villa for its physical and geological conditions.
José María Villa started his studies in New Jersey at the age of 14 with a scholarship of 1800 Pesos . After graduating, he participated in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River in New York .
characteristics
Although there are much longer suspension bridges in South America today, the Puente de Occidente was originally the longest of its kind in the entire subcontinent , and this is where the bridge's historical and cultural significance lies. It was a key moment in the development of the region and the country. The work is also a testimony to the avant-garde of its designer, the engineer José María Villa, as well as the most advanced level of knowledge of the time. It was declared a National Monument of Colombia on November 26, 1978 .
The Puente de Occidente was initially only open to pedestrians, later it was also allowed to be passed by vehicles.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ "PUENTE DE OCCIDENTE - Santafé de Antioquia" web.archive.org/Fincas Agroturísticas, accessed on September 17, 2019 (Spanish).
- ^ "PUENTE DE OCCIDENTE" Organización Colparques, accessed September 17, 2019 (Spanish).
- ^ "Ley 25 de 1978 - monumento nacional el Puente de Occidente" web.archive.org/LexBase Colombia, accessed on September 17, 2019 (Spanish).