The initial course for the Spanish equivalent of the Tour de France had the professional cyclists crossing into Cadiz over the existing José León de Carranza bridge, one of only two access points into the city.
But the route was altered to showcase the new La Pepa cable-stayed bridge, officially known as the Puente de la Constitución de 1812, which is in the final stages of construction.
Picture credit: Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Cádiz
According to local reports, work is taking place against the clock to prepare the 3.2km-long La Pepa bridge for the 25th of August deadline. Around 300 workers are busy installing the parapets on the bridge and dismantling the falsework.
The link has 37 spans ranging from 32m to the main cable-stayed span of 540m.
The Ministry of Development is expected to announce the official opening of the bridge to traffic will take place in mid September but pedestrians will be allowed onto the bridge the weekend before during a special open session.
The new Cadiz bridge project was designed by Spanish consultant Carlos Fernandez Casado; work began in 2007 by main contractors Dragados and FPS, and was originally scheduled for completion in autumn 2012.
With 175 countries signed up to broadcast media coverage of the Vuelta Ciclista, the event will be the ideal opportunity for showcasing the bridge to the international community.
