The 5 longest railroad bridges in Brazil

The Brazilian territory is very extensive, in addition to comprising different types of relief. This can bring several logistical logistical challenges challenges to the transport of cargo and people. For these reasons, the construction of access roads requires structures capable of overcoming the most varied spaces, such as mountains, rivers and valleys, yielding beautiful landscapes. This is the case of many railroad bridges in Brazil, which are strategically positioned to reduce travel time and facilitate the passage of trains

We prepared this article to present some of the main railroad bridges in the national territory. Check them out next!

Among all the railroad bridges in Brazil, discover the most extensive!

To start the list of the 5 largest railroad bridges in Brazil, let's get to know the Rollemberg-Vuolo Highway Bridge, which is also called the Highway Railroad Bridge Over the Paraná River. The name of the bridge is a tribute to the two parliamentarians who were most dedicated to its construction: Deputy Roberto do Valle Rollemberg and Senator Vicente Emílio Vuolo.

This bridge is the most recent among the others on the list, and its construction began in 1991 on the initiative of the governor of the state of São Paulo at the time, Orestes Quércia. During the 1990s, the works suffered several interruptions due to constraints in the project's budget. Finally, its inauguration took place on May 29, 1998, during the FHC government.

The purpose of its construction was to connect the city of Aparecida do Taboado (MS) to Rubinéia (SP), thus connecting the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo through the Paraná River. The bridge is 26 meters high (in relation to the water surface), 18 meters wide and about 3,700 meters long, making it the largest river bridge in Brazil.

The structure considerably reduced the crossing time: before, crossing the river was made by ferries and lasted around 1 and a half hours, while the path made possible by the bridge takes less than 5 minutes.

It is important to remember that it was the first bridge in Brazil designed from the beginning to integrate several modes of transport, in this case, rail and road, and its structure also allows pedestrians to cross.

Ponte Eurico Gaspar Dutra

The second position on our list of the largest railroad bridges in Brazil is also a river bridge: the Eurico Gaspar Dutra Bridge, named after the country's president at the time. 

The bridge is located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, close to the border with Bolivia. The construction crosses the Paraguai river, connecting the center of the municipality of Corumbá (MS) to its district, Porto Esperança. The purpose of the construction was to serve as a logistics solution for cargo transport Bolivia, continuing the extinct Estrada de Ferro Noroeste Brasil.

The works took almost 10 years to complete: from October 1, 1938 until its inauguration on September 21, 1947. Its length is about 2,825 meters, 10 meters wide, and its height reaches 112 meters at its highest point.

Ponte Ferroviária de Cacequi

Another construction considered as one of the main railroad bridges in Brazil is the Caacequi Railroad Bridge. 

Located in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the bridge was designed with the objective of crossing the Santa Maria River, facilitating the transit of trains between the most populous regions of the state and the international borders of neighboring countries, Argentina and Uruguay.

With a metallic structure supported by pillars, the bridge is around 1537 meters long. The scenery constituted by the bridge, the waters of the river and the white sands of Praia dos Dourados is one of the main postcards of the region, which makes the place an important tourist spot.

Viaduto 13

The next bridge on our list of the longest railroad bridges in Brazil is not remarkable for its length, but for its height. Viaduct 13, also known as Army Viaduct, has a total length of 509 meters and is 143 meters high. This makes it the third tallest viaduct in the world, after the Beipanjiang Bridge (275 meters) in China and the Mala Rijeka Viaduct (198 meters) in Montenegro.

The bridge is located between the municipalities of Vespasiano Corrêa (RS) and Muçum (RS), and is part of the Ferrovia do Trigo (EF-491), operated by Rumo Logística. Its construction began on July 21, 1975 and was completed on August 19, 1978.

The name of the bridge receives the number 13, as it is the 13th viaduct built in the stretch between the two cities in Rio Grande do Sul. Due to its mountainous character, the region is often visited by people interested in hiking, base jumping and abseiling.

Ponte Rodoferroviária Marcelino Ramos

To finish the list of the 5 biggest railroad bridges in Brazil, let's get to know the Marcelino Ramos Rodoferroviária Bridge. The construction corresponds to the Itararé-Uruguai Line, which was part of the extinct São Paulo-Rio Grande Railroad.

The 455-meter-long structure spans the Uruguay River, connecting the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, more specifically, the municipalities of Piratuba (SC) and Marcelino Ramos (RS).

Among the others mentioned in the list, this bridge is the oldest, and it was initially built, on a wooden base, on December 17, 1910. A year later, a flood toppled the temporary structure. The bridge began to be rebuilt in 1913, this time with a more resistant metal structure.

Conclusion about the biggest railroad bridges in Brazil

Rail transport is very important for the country's economic growth, whether it is used to distribute products throughout the national territory or to direct them to export zones. Transport bridges in this sense, very important in Brazil, play a very important role, providing shortcuts on transport routes and optimizing the entire process.

Searchs:

https://www.cacequi.rs.gov.br/municipio/pontos_turisticos.html

https://www.portaldemarcelino.com.br/portal/ponte-rodoferroviaria/