Have you ever heard of the Lourido Wire Bridge? Built between 1926 and 1927, the almost century-old infrastructure connects the municipalities of Celorico de Basto and Amarante, belonging to the districts of Braga and Porto, respectively, and has just been given a ‘new lease of life’.
After almost three years of work, the rehabilitated wire bridge was inaugurated to the public at the beginning of March, in a project that cost around 324 thousand euros.
The restoration project was carried out by the Association of Douro and Tâmega Municipalities, in collaboration with the municipalities of Amarante and Celorico de Basto.
A look into the past of the Ponte de Arame
The suspension bridge, known as the wire bridge, is 55 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and crosses the River Tâmega at a height of 50 meters.
In the past, the techniques used in its construction were considered innovative due to the use of steel cables and wood, serving to connect two rural villages, from a farming perspective and beyond.
The start of a new life
According to information quoted by NIT, the rehabilitation of the bridge, which began in 2022, aimed to improve access on both sides, with a view to promoting mobility for visitors.
Today, we want it to become a tourist icon, a national reference, for the beauty of the landscapes, for its unique characteristics, for the rural reality that surrounds it,” said José Peixoto Lima, mayor of Celorico de Basto, at the inauguration, quoted by the newspaper O Minho.
Associated interventions
As the aim is to turn the wire bridge into a tourist attraction, there are other interventions in the pipeline, namely:
- The creation of a belvedere overlooking the bridge with panoramic views (on the Celorico de Basto side).
- On the Amarante side, a new dirt track access is to be built, as well as a small parking lot.