The US$18-million contract was awarded to Grupo Rover by the Department of Mobility, Transport and Housing of the autonomous community of Extremadura in Spain.
The new 410m-long highway crossing includes a 180m-long main arch span that will be supported by 10 piers up to 24m high. The bridge will be constructed 200m away from the Alcántara Viaduct and will include a walkway providing a new vantage point for pedestrians.
The Alcántara masonry viaduct was built over the Tagus River between 104 and 106 AD by order of the Roman emperor Trajan in 98. The crypt of the nearby temple carries an inscription familiar to many Spanish engineers and architects: “The bridge forever permanent was made by the skill of Lacer”.
