The Arenal Bridge (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Puente del Arenal'',

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

: ''Areatzako zubia'') is a

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

bridge in

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It spans the

Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...

, linking the neighborhoods of

Casco Viejo or in Spanish or or in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district. The names mean ''Seven Streets'' or ''Old Town'' respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until the e ...

and

Abando Abando, formerly known as ''San Vicente de Abando'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain). It covers most of the city's centre, located on the left bank of the estuary of Bilbao. It is the only district of Bilbao with ...

. The third bridge to stand on the site, it was completed in 1938. The original bridge was opened in 1848 and the second in 1878. The Arriaga Theater, the ''Arenal de Bilbao'' (Bilbao Arenal) park, the ''Estación de Concordia'' (Concordia Train Station) and the Bailén Skyscraper (the first skyscraper of the city) can be seen from the bridge.

History

Along with the growth of Bilbao, the urban centre of the city expanded beyond the old original seven streets, and started to expand over territories of the, by that time,

elizate An (), ( es, anteiglesia) is an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. The terms (in Standard Basque) and (in Biscayan) literally translate as "churc ...

. In fact, the transit of people moving from Abando to Bilbao or from Bilbao to Abando grew every year and became more fluid. As the only bridge that crossed the Estuary of Bilbao was the

San Antón Bridge The San Antón Bridge (Spanish: ''Puente de San Antón'', Basque: ''San Antongo zubia'') is an arch bridge in Bilbao, Spain. It spans the Estuary of Bilbao, linking the neighborhoods of Bilbao La Vieja and Casco Viejo. It is the oldest bridge in t ...

, it became a necessity and a priority to build a new bridge that would connect both banks of the river.

Iron Bridge (1845 - 1876)

The bridge project was introduced in 1844, and it was built during 1845, to be finally opened in 1847. Once finished, it became the third bridge that crossed the river and also became the main connection between Bilbao and the

. It had an iron structure (it was the first known

bridge made by

casting Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...

) and it was a

moveable bridge A moveable bridge, or movable bridge, is a bridge that moves to allow passage for boats or barges. In American English, the term is synonymous with , and the latter is the common term, but drawbridge can be limited to the narrower, historical d ...

. The bridge was named ''

Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

''. The Queen

herself wanted to see the bridge during her visit to the city in 1865, in which the

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the monarchy of Spain, throne of Spain. According to the Sp ...

(which later would become the King

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 188 ...

) joined her. In 1866 the internal structure of the bridge, which allowed it to open and close (

) stopped working. Until 1870, a

toll Toll may refer to: Transportation * Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway ** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use ** Road toll (historic), the historic practice of charging for road use ** Shadow toll, ...

had to be paid in order to cross the bridge. During the following years, several

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

s and other causes damaged severely the bridge. Three of its original arches were replaced with sections of wood. The bridge suffered more damage on the

Carlist Wars The Carlist Wars () were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 187 ...

, when a

bombardment A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, ...

fell over the city on April 2, 1874. Finally, on April 11 and April 12 of the same year, the bridge was partially destroyed in a flood. In 1876 one of its arches was placed on Udondo River (Leioa) where it is today. .A tail of two Spanish cast-iron bridges
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Stone Bridge (1878 - 1937)

Bilbao Nervion view from Puente del Arenal

In 1876, after the destruction of the original bridge, one of the projects by Adolfo de Ibarreta was approved. The project included a new three-arch bridge made of

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

. The new bridge was opened to public on December 1, 1878. The new bridge limited the

fluvial In geography and geology, fluvial processes are associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them. When the stream or rivers are associated with glaciers, ice sheets, or ice caps, the term glaciofluvial or fluviog ...

transport to

barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...

s and small steam boats. This bridge, also called ''Isabella II'', had a bigger surface for road transit, which allowed

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

ways connect both sides of the river using the bridge. In June, 1937, during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the bridge was demolished and a temporary one was built with pieces of wood and barges.

Reinforced Concrete Bridge (1938 - present time)

In June, 1938, a new

bridge was opened where the old ''Isabella II'' bridge was located. The new bridge was called ''Puente de la Victoria'' (Victory Bridge). In 1980, the name of bridge was changed from Victory Bridge to the current one, ''Puente del Arenal'' (Arenal Bridge).

History

Iron Bridge (1845 - 1876)

Stone Bridge (1878 - 1937)

Reinforced Concrete Bridge (1938 - present time)

References

See also