Vasco da Gama Bridge, Portugal

The new Tagus River crossing in Portugal is 17,300 m long, including three interchanges, a 5-km-long section on land and a continuous 12,300-m-long bridge. Since the project is of great importance, a very high level of seismic protection was specified, far higher than usual for ordinary structures. Thus seismic considerations significantly influenced the design of the crossing, especially of the cable-stayed Main Bridge with a 420-m-long span across the main navigation channel.