Bridge · Porto, Portugal
Dom Luís I Bridge
The Luiz I Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Luiz I), commonly known as Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I), is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. Built 1881–1886.
Photo: Deensel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Porto, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Type | Bridge |
| Built | 1881–1886 |
| Architect | Léopold Valentin, Théophile Seyrig |
| Height | Height: 45 m |
| Coordinates | 41.1399° N, 8.6093° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Dom Luís I Bridge is known for
The Luiz I Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Luiz I), commonly known as Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I), is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.
About Dom Luís I Bridge
The Luiz I Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Luiz I), commonly known as Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I), is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest of its type in the world. It can be confused with the nearby Maria Pia Bridge, a railway bridge that was built 9 years earlier (and is located 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the east), which is similar in aspect to the Luiz I bridge.
History
In 1879, Gustave Eiffel presented a project to construct a new bridge over the Douro, with a high single deck in order to facilitate ship navigation. This project was rejected due to dramatic growth of the urban population, which required a rethinking of the limits of a single-deck platform. A competition was initiated in November 1880, in order to construct a double-deck metal bridge, which included projects by Compagnie de Fives-Lille, Cail & C., Schneider & Co., Gustave Eiffel, Lecoq & Co., Société de Braine-le-Comte, Société des Batignolles (which submitted two ideas), Andrew Handyside & Co., Société de Construction de Willebroek (also two projects), and John Dixon.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Porto |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Braga Municipal Aerodrome (BGZ) |
| Distance from the airport | 29.8 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) · Porto, Portugal · 8.4 miles away
- Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) · Santiago de Compostela, Spain · 121.8 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Portugal
More bridges
Frequently asked questions
What is Dom Luís I Bridge?
The Luiz I Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Luiz I), commonly known as Dom Luís I Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luís I), is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.
Where is Dom Luís I Bridge located?
Dom Luís I Bridge is in Porto, Portugal. Its coordinates are 41.1399° N, 8.6093° W.
How do I get to Dom Luís I Bridge?
The nearest town is Porto, and the nearest airport is Braga Municipal Aerodrome (BGZ), about 29.8 miles away (straight line).
When was Dom Luís I Bridge built?
Dom Luís I Bridge was built 1881–1886.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_Luís_I_Bridge — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1322447 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.