On 6 August 2026, the 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon marks six decades since its inauguration. What began as the Salazar Bridge—a symbol of the Estado Novo regime—has evolved into Portugal's most vital river crossing, linking the capital with Almada and the rapidly growing Setúbal Peninsula.
Built in under four years at a cost equivalent to roughly €22.4 million, the bridge was hailed as the largest public works project in Portuguese history. At its peak, some 3,000 workers laboured daily, supported by 14 engineering firms, 11 of them Portuguese. Tens of thousands of tonnes of steel went into a structure that became an international benchmark in suspension bridge design.
The bridge's orange towers and steel cables, inspired by San Francisco's Golden Gate, support two decks. Although designed from the outset to carry rail traffic, trains only began running about 30 years after the road opened. Today, its main span of 1,013 metres is the longest in Europe for a combined road-rail crossing, with towers rising 196 metres above the water and the south pier anchored 80 metres into the riverbed.
A legacy of displacement and protest
The bridge's construction was not without controversy. Thousands of residents from the Alcântara Valley were evicted to make way for access roads and pillars. Architect Nuno Teotónio Pereira publicly criticised the Salazar regime for the rushed and poorly planned rehousing, a reminder of the social costs that accompanied this engineering triumph.
Traffic has grown steadily over the decades, peaking in 2005 with more than 57 million vehicles—an average of 156,000 per day. The pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 saw the lowest figures, with daily averages of 115,000 and 124,000 respectively, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). Despite the opening of the Vasco da Gama Bridge in 1998, the 25 de Abril remains the busiest Tagus crossing, carrying more than twice the traffic of its rival. In Porto, the Freixo and Arrábida bridges handle heavy volumes but fall short of Lisbon's numbers.
Currently, Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) reports around 150,000 vehicles and 174 trains use the bridge daily, serving more than 100 million users a year. Tolls have been a persistent source of friction. From 10 escudos in 1966, the class 1 charge now stands at €2.25, though tolls were suspended every August between 1996 and 2010 following the 1994 'buzinão' protest against a 50% increase. Earlier this year, a new 'buzinão' challenged a 2.29% rise and demanded abolition of charges.
Maintenance costs average €1.6 million annually, covering inspections, materials, and expert support from ISQ and LNEC, as well as Parsons, the original US designer, which continues to monitor the structure. A major rehabilitation contract was completed in March 2024, and IP is now preparing a full repainting project. In September 2025, Chega councillor Bruno Mascarenhas raised concerns about the bridge's support structure, but IP insists that rigorous inspection and monitoring ensure it 'continues to meet the highest standards of safety, reliability and performance.'
The 60th anniversary was celebrated with a 500-drone show over the Tagus, a fitting tribute to a structure that has become an icon of Lisbon. Looking ahead, plans include a new road-rail crossing between Chelas and Barreiro and a road link between Algés and Trafaria, which could eventually ease pressure on this ageing but enduring bridge. As Portugal grapples with housing affordability and renewable energy growth, the bridge remains a critical artery for the capital's metropolitan region.
