Rande Bridge

It is a unique project within the Atlantic Highway, which links La Coruña and Vigo, crossing the Ria de Vigo over the Strait of Rande and avoiding a detour of more than 50 km along the estuary. It has a total length of 1,558 m between the bridge and the access viaducts. The columns that support it are 148 m tall over the seabed.

The bridge is cable-stayed in its midsection. It has a steel deck with a total width of 23.46 m, allowing for traffic flow in both directions, at a height of 50 m above sea level. The unsupported span between the central piers is 400.14 m, which at the time made it the world's second largest bridge of its kind. Between the central piers and the ground piers, there is a 147.42 m section on both sides, giving the central cable-stayed bridge a total length of 694.98 m. The deck is suspended with straight cables anchored to its edges, and to the heads of the central piers. The central piers, made of reinforced concrete, are 128.10 m above sea level and stand on foundations that extend 20 m below sea level, driven directly into the bedrock of the estuary.

The project was completed with two access viaducts, made up of two continuous box girders, on per each side, made of prestressed concrete. The total length of the viaducts is 863 metres.

The designers for the project were Florencio del Pozo, Fabrizio de Miranda and Alfredo Passaro. In 1979 it won the European Prize for Best Steel Construction.